Learning+Needs


 * Use this page to develop a list of things we need to learn in order to complete the project**


 * As you enter items on the list below, please put your initials next to each item you enter so that I (george) can see who is participating.**

A good first step ... As you read through the example documents (Casper &amp; Washington) and the [|UFORE model documentation], jot down things you don't know how to do and enter them here.

don't know how to... - calculate tree biomass - best practices for estimating: tree height, height at base of live crown, crown width, % canopy missing/dieback, tree distance and direction to space-conditioned (?) residential buildings - calculating healthy leaf surface area - shrub characteristics - would like more explanation of the urban forest's affect on energy use/consumption (what these results mean)
 * from mhl:**

I like the comparison at the end of each report relating the urban forest data or other terms, i.e. "Carbon storage equivalent to: Amount of carbon (C) emitted in city in 57 days"

Need Raleigh land use data Can we use the i-Tree PDA utility? Can we use the Sample Inventory Generator?

DC Used 201 sample plots, Casper used 234 sample plots to produce their results &lt;&gt;

wholeheartedly agree with hannah on the calculations that she doesn't know. What she doesn't know, I wouldn't know.
 * from tms:**

don't know: - how the plots in the Casper Assessment Report were categorized into different land uses (guidelines, definitions, etc.) - calculating carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other pollutants are measured nor how to use the instruments

--- Is our goal to utilize all of the features that the UFORE model can estimate? ie. Will we want to calculate the potential impact of pests? Thats the only thing I see there that wouldn't seem to have much value for the purpose of the project...
 * from bar:**

Don't know: How to measure canopy qualities: width, light exposure, percent missing, and die back. I have trouble with winter tree ID, and guides would be helpful if we can acquire them.
 * from lnh:**

Is there hourly pollution concentration data available for Raleigh?

I'm not familiar with any of the above calculations or questions raised. I also don't know how to use GPS. I have never done any sort of field work, and don't even remember the formal for simple things like basal area. I learn quickly. We need the exact specifications that UFORE is looking for - did I miss those somewhere? Especially important, as Hannah mentioned, would be those below. tree height, height to base of live crown, crown width, percentage crown canopy missing and dieback
 * From SaS:**

Where do we get information to estimate biomass, carbon sequestration, and the differences between urban-grow and open trees?

I'm also not familiar with above calculations, but have been introduced to the concepts through King's 303 class. How will we effectively calculate canopy size since we are collecting data in the winter? Also, do we only inventory trees not shrubs or vines, and do we count invasive species? (I feel mostly comfortable with winter tree id, and still have all my dendro materials if anyone needs to use them)
 * From MLH**

I concur on the unfamiliarity with most of the above calculations. I also think spending a significant portion of one lab period IDing winter trees would be extremely beneficial. Yea another important consideration is trees vs. shrubs and minimum dbh for the trees we do include in our plots. I also got the impression that the UFORE model does most of the applied calculations from the data we put into it, for example the carbon sequestration, and storage, etc. etc. but I think it would be useful and important to have some sort of discussion of how these numbers are derived so that it's not just giving us data be we actually understand how and where it comes from.
 * From lma:**

Oh, no one has said anything about GIS i don't think. I took a 3 credit course in GIS and it was a really useful tool that I think could give us some detailed models, I could probably draw up my old skills but will need some serious touching up.

George 29 Jan - need to learn how to get land cover from an air photo with an electronic dot grid - Hawth's tools.