Tree Inventories: in the Palm of Your Hand

Tree Care Technology

A personal digital assistant (PDA) provides a low-cost alternative to more expensive systems for collecting data on public and private trees. Many PDA programs are available for use by arborists and tree managers.

Introduction Until recently, the collection of tree inventory data has involved the use of expensive hand-held computerized data recorders or simple paper systems to record information on the type, size, condition, health, and maintenance requirements of public and private trees. Whether one was inventorying trees growing along public streets, on private property or in recreation areas such as golf courses, collecting and managing the information required equip- ping inventory personnel with hand-held data recorders costing thousands, or involved costly data entry once the field work was completed. Today, low-cost solutions to field data collection and storage needs are available, using Personal Digital Assistants, or PDA’s, collectively referred to as Palm Pilots. These hand-held devices are inexpensive, easy to use and

Photos by Edward Coughlin, Springfield Parks Department Tree Inventories: In the Palm of Your Hand

By Dr. David V. Bloniarz, Shaun V. Phelan, M.Ed. and Dr. H. Dennis P. Ryan

State-of-the-art technology is providing arborists with new, affordable inventory tools, making fieldwork more efficient and less costly. The PDA is one of the more useful advances for complet- ing field surveys.

56 TREE CARE INDUSTRY - NOVEMBER 2001 offer an affordable solution to many us- OS are offered here. books were replaced by computer spread- ers’ data collection needs. The primary requirement to operate sheets, the PDA is increasingly becoming Whether you are developing a munici- the PDA inventory programs outlined the tool of choice for business mangers. pal tree inventory system, tracking the here are that they be capable of running Arborists, consultants, and tree wardens health of park trees, managing trees grow- the Palm OS and have a minimum of can take advantage of many PDA programs ing on golf courses, or cataloging trees for 2MB of memory. Other functions, such that provide specific tools for the indus- homeowner clients, the use of a PDA can as a color screen, increased memory or try, and can adapt others that are used by increase efficiency, reduce the potential for a cellular modem, are not needed to op- other professions. data input error, and improve the timely erate most inventory programs, but may Several commercial tree vendors pro- reporting of data. Eliminating the need for increase personal productivity or com- vide PDA and other hand-held computer manual data entry following field collec- fort. Choosing a PDA for your needs will programs for use in the industry, includ- tion activities adds to efficiency and direct the final cost and configuration of ing tree inventory operations. These are reduces the cost of this inventory program. what you ultimately purchase, and can generally linked to desktop database ap- The use of inexpensive PDA’s enables range from $150 to nearly $500. The plications that are used to archive and one-time entry of data while working in the more memory that your PDA contains, study data. These programs offer valu- field, eliminating the need to own or rent the less likely you will be to overload its able data-management capabilities to costly equipment, or complete timely data- storage capacity, eliminating frequent municipalities, commercial tree care transfer procedures after returning to the downloads of data to a desktop com- firms, consultants and tree managers. office. Typically, a PDA capable of record- puter. Increased memory will raise the Data collection is usually accomplished ing tree inventory information can be cost, so you should closely examine costs using a PDA or other hand-held data re- purchased for about $150. Inventory soft- and benefits of the additional investment. corder or computer. For a list of NAA ware is available for free, or can be obtained Only five years ago, a street tree in- members who sell computer arborist- from a variety of sources at affordable costs. ventory was completed by community specific software, call 1-800-733-2622. Ultimately all of the data collected on a volunteers in Brookline, Mass., who used The USDA Forest Service Northeast PDA will be downloaded to a database Husky Hunter 16 data recorders, which Center for Urban & Community For- operating on a personal computer. There- sold for over $1,200 each. At that time estry, in cooperation with the University fore, the PDA should be viewed as a the purchase or lease of the hand-held of Massachusetts/Amherst and the City data-collection tool, from which data will units was clearly unaffordable for many of Springfield, Mass., Park Department be transferred to a spreadsheet, database communities or commercial firms, which has developed programs for public dis- or standalone inventory management pro- is dramatically different than the situa- tribution, and they can be downloaded gram. Its usefulness is to streamline field tion today. Outfitting a cadre of from http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/ data collection operations, but is not sub- community volunteers or staff with palm/. The applicability of these pro- stitute for the use of fully trained, proficient today’s current technology is fully af- grams for tree managers is outlined here. field personnel. However, the use of a PDA fordable in most cases. complements the use of skilled staff and In the event that you are purchasing Pendragon Forms data makes their work in the field more efficient many units, it is best to buy the same type and cost effective. and capability, so that if a unit goes out collection system of service it can be replaced or shared One popular Palm OS software pro- The computer with another user. This redundancy will gram, Pendragon Forms 3.1, is available reduce downtime during your inventory for under $175. It allows for easy collec- backbone operations and ensure that all users are tion and processing of tree survey data, The Palm Operating System (OS) is one fully skilled in the use of your units. or any other digital databases, for that of the most common computer platforms matter. This software can be used to cre- on which PDA’s function. Several manu- Palm-based solutions ate customized database templates for facturers produce PDA’s that use the Palm Many Palm OS programs are available tree surveys, or other data collection OS, including Handspring, Sony and Palm for use in PDA’s, and many can be useful needs, such as work orders, without spe- Pilot. Each of these companies produce to the arborist, tree manger or consultant. cific programming experience. This products which utilize the same computer Business applications range from easy-to-use program allows the user to program to operate, therefore individual datebooks and address books to mileage develop PDA collection templates, using preferences will determine which and travel logs. A seemingly endless pal- the Pendragon Forms program, which manufacturer’s product a user chooses. ette of applications are available for can be modified, updated or revised While other manufacturers and operating purchase or free download via the Internet, based on particular needs. Additionally, systems are available, the Palm OS is the enabling PDA users to become truly “digi- the USDA Forest Service has created two most widely used system today. Therefore, tal” in their approach to data management. public domain inventory database tem- tree inventory tools that utilize the Palm In the same manner that paper ledger plates, available for download, that

TREE CARE INDUSTRY - NOVEMBER 2001 57 Data collection using a personal digi- utilize Pendragon Forms software. These tal assistant provides field personnel templates can be downloaded and used with a lightweight, inexpensive and “as is” on a PDA, or modified by the user. easy-to-use tool for collecting data on trees and transferring it to a database A street tree inventory template and a program on a desktop computer. hazard tree rating template are also available for download. Pendragon Forms allows for flexibility and customizing of the data-collection process, and enables the user to develop additional electronic forms that can be used to track information related to your tree management operations. However, the templates available for free download are fully functional, and incorporate key inventory criteria, such as species, size, condition and maintenance needs. These templates demonstrate the capability of the software while providing PDA data-collection tools that can serve as the foundation for tree inventory and hazard management operations you may undertake. In addition to using Pendragon Forms for inventory data collection, it is very easy to build custom database input forms for collecting information on a variety of tasks, ranging from work orders to equipment maintenance. The program enables the user to recreate tra- ditional paper forms in digital form for use on a PDA. No special programming experience is required, and can be accomplished using the Reference Guide Pendragon Forms software allows the user to customize data that is supplied with the software. collection forms on a personal computer, for use on a PDA. Sample templates are also included with Custom input forms such as this one can be created with mini- the program, allowing the user to exam- mal technical expertise. ine various capabilities of the program. More information on the Pendragon Forms is available at http:// www.pendragonsoftware.com. A free, The MCTI login screen allows users to identify the community, the range tree identification numbers and inventory personnel.

The MCTI screens duplicate data entry fields that might be found on a paper- based inventory tally sheet.

58 TREE CARE INDUSTRY - NOVEMBER 2001 14-day evaluation copy is available at level of the MCTI process; others may want formation, paper data is very difficult to the site, enabling use of the templates to start at the first step. analyze quickly and accurately. developed by the USDA Forest Service and its partners. Level 1: A paper Level 2: The desktop Mobile Community Tree record program The MCTI design team recognized that The next component in the MCTI sys- Inventory (MCTI) System a number of municipalities complete a sig- tem is a computer-based software The idea behind The Mobile Commu- nificant amount of their tree inventory application. This software resides on a nity Tree Inventory (MCTI) system was to utilizing trained community volunteers. computer much the same way a word pro- design a tree inventory software applica- These volunteers may have little or no ex- cessor or e-mail application does. The tion that could be distributed to arborists, perience working with computers or software uses has an easy-to-use screen to tree managers, city foresters and consult- PDA’s. However, the organization does enter the data and a database to store in- ants at no cost via the Internet. The idea not want to lose the opportunity to collect formation. The data can be entered from also was to have it packaged as a stand- valuable data. In this case, the use of pa- the paper-based forms or by using a PDA, alone program, requiring the purchase of per inventory (or tally) sheets may be which will be outlined in the Level Three no additional computer software. MCTI appropriate. discussion that follows. Using the MCTI was developed through a partnership of the The paper based data collection sys- software application represents a dramatic USDA Forest Service Northeast Center for tem has certain advantages. The system step towards efficiency. Information is Urban & Community Forestry, the City of is non-threatening to individuals who are stored in a database using unique numbers Springfield, Mass., and the University of uncomfortable around technology. The to identify specific trees. Trees in the da- Massachusetts/Amherst. Realizing that the form is simple enough to be completed tabase system can be searched or modified implementation of any new data-collection by a layperson and is it is designed so with just a few mouse clicks, instead of system can be very challenging, the MCTI the data can be easily entered into the searching a file cabinet. The system comes development team reviewed several exist- MCTI system at a later date. A copy of with a summary report that produces over ing inventory models and worked with the MCTI paper inventory sheet is avail- two dozen useful statistics. Included in professional arborists to develop a program able for download at http:// the report are the average number of trees that addressed the challenge of integrating www.umass.edu/urbantree/mcti/. per mile, the number of trees per person, a computer system into the deeply rooted There are a number of challenges that and the average tree diameter at breast human processes used in surveying trees. are associated with this method of data height. Trees can be inventoried numerous The MCTI system is comprised of three collection. The more opportunities the times and long-term care can be examined. components, with each building on the data collector has to write down infor- A person with a working knowledge of foundation of the previous level. A tree mation, the more opportunity there is for computers will need about 30 minutes to care firm or municipality needs to identify error. The collector may have poor hand- customize the MCTI program for their spe- the level of MCTI capability they feel is writing or may record information in the cific organization. In setting up the appropriate and begin working with that wrong survey box. This would prevent program for its initial use, you will need MCTI component. Some organizations accurate analysis, making much of the to enter information about your organiza- may have previous inventory experience inventory data unusable. Even though tion including state, community name, and and feel comfortable starting with the third paper remains the standard for storing in- species of trees likely to be found in the

TREE CARE INDUSTRY - NOVEMBER 2001 59 survey area. This and other information bal Positioning Systems (GPS) coordi- Public domain Palm OS based PDA soft- will help the MCTI software complete the nates if you are using this type of system ware and templates are available, at no screen menus automatically each time you to record a tree’s location. cost, for download and use. These pro- use the software. Once a team has completed their inven- grams and templates provide a foundation The quality of the information stored in tory session, transferring data from the upon which to establish an accurate, low- the database depends entirely on the qual- PDA to the database is simple and fast. The cost inventory program for public and ity of the information going into the user places the unit into its docking cradle private trees. Also, a rating system for po- database. Data coming from paper forms and presses the “HotSync” button. Over a tential tree hazards is available using is more likely to have errors. Using the thousand trees can be transferred to the public domain templates via free down- PDA component along with the desktop desktop database application in under load. application enables the user to utilize a one-minute.The transferred information is Today, state-of-the-art technology is immediately available and included in the more affordable, while the simplicity and fully computerized system for tree inven- summary reports. A complete product de- capability of the programs continues to tory data collection, storage and analysis. scription and recommendations for expand. Based on the availability of these The desktop application and the PDA soft- purchasing a PDA is available in the affordable solutions, isn’t it about time that ware outlined below can be obtained free MCTI manual. you put data-collection capability in the of charge from the USDA Forest Service’s The MCTI reference manual, PDA appli- palm of your hand today? Northeast Center for Urban & Community cation and desktop software are available Forestry’s Web site at http:// www.umass.edu/urbantree/mcti. Level 3: The PDA application The most efficient and cost effective way to collect and analyze tree inventory data is to use the complete MCTI package. The package includes the desktop software and the data collection software designed for the PDA. The PDA data-collection software is available free of charge from the Web site noted above. Your organization will need to provide a PDA with minimum memory (2MB) and a personal computer. Once the desktop and PDA software has Using Pendragon Forms, a series of data entry templates can be created on a per- been downloaded and configured, they are sonal computer and uploaded to a PDA for use in the field. These template designs ready for use. The screens on the PDA are can be custom designed and uploaded to individual PDA’s. very intuitive, allowing the user to begin collecting data with very little instruction. The MCTI package ensures that errors are for free download at http:// Dr. David V. Bloniarz is project direc- minimized and speed is maximized when www.umass.edu/urbantree/mcti. tor of the USDA Forest Service Northeast collecting and reporting data. The user Center for Urban & Community Forestry picks choices by tapping the PDA screen Conclusion located at the University of Massachu- instead of the error-prone process of writ- setts/Amherst. Shaun V. Phelan, is the ing out information on paper. Affordable, easy-to-use computer tech- director of information technology for the The PDA software has anticipated many nology is making the work of arborists and City of Springfield, Mass., Park Depart- common inventory problems. Tree identi- tree mangers more efficient, cost effective ment. Dr. H. Dennis P. Ryan is director of fication numbers are commonly assigned and accurate. PDA’s, are one of the latest the urban & community forestry program in sequential order. The software allows the technical tools that help provide a low- in the Department of Natural Resources user to set the starting number of the ID cost, efficient method for collecting Conservation at the University of Massa- sequence each time they begin collecting information on trees that ultimately will chusetts/Amherst. For more information or data. This feature is especially helpful if be included in a management database. you are using multiple teams to collect Additionally, PDA’s provide an opportu- to link to the sites and software develop- data. By assigning numeric ranges, the nity to streamline other management and ers outlined in this article, please visit the users can be assured that two teams will data-collection activities, and serve as an USDA Forest Service Northeast Center for never assign the same number to different alternative to costly handheld data record- Urban & Community Forestry at http:// trees. The PDA software also accepts Glo- ers or paper data-collection systems. www.umass.edu/urbantree/palm/.

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