Master's Projects, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10919/64860

Browse

Browsing Master's Projects, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation by Subject "arboriculture"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Designing an Urban Forest Inventory System for a Small Municipality: A Case Study of Falls Church, Virginia
    Walker, Catriona (Virginia Tech, 2015-05-16)
    The City of Falls Church, Virginia is an independent city in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with a population of 13,600 within its two square mile jurisdiction. The City's residents are justifiably proud of their beautiful and extensive urban forest. Falls Church has been a Tree City USA for thirty-six years, longer than any other community in Virginia, and the protection of its mature trees and expansion of its tree canopy are key goals in the City's Comprehensive Plan. This report describes the development and testing of a tree inventory system for the City using the ESRI ArcGIS data mapping platform. The database design and the procedures for data collection are described and illustrated. Strengths and limitations of the ESRI software and hardware options for the purpose of collecting and displaying tree inventory data are considered, and recommendations are made for further development of the inventory system. It is hoped that this case study will be of use to other entities considering the creation of a complete or partial tree inventory.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Japanese Garden Inventory and Management Plan for Maymont Park - Richmond, VA
    Jones, Christopher Egan (Virginia Tech, 2009-02-03)
    A woody plant inventory was conducted at Maymont Park in Richmond, VA to assess species composition and plant condition of its Japanese garden. This garden has changed significantly over the years, thus requiring a plant inventory. A global positioning system (GPS) unit and data logger were used to locate plants and document their characteristics. Management needs, plant condition, geographic coordinates, accession dates, and trunk diameter were recorded for each of the 333 specimens inventoried in the garden. The projectâ s overall goal was to provide recommendations to help Maymont staff make sound arboricultural decisions. The project was also a pilot to develop a plant inventory protocol for the other 106 acres of the Park. The majority of inventoried trees had 0.5â 10 inch trunk diameter at breast height with a few trees measuring over 40 inches. These data revealed that the plant collection consists of mostly smaller, immature trees and that most will need a high level of care to maintain the gardenâ s longevity. The five most abundant species were bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.; 18.6%); â Yoshinoâ Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don; 10.8%); Japanese maple (Acer palmatum Thunb.; 9.9%); loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.; 8.1%); and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.; 4.5%). The inventory revealed that mulching, pruning, and tree removal were the most common management needs. Although the garden needs attention in some areas, it is in good condition overall.