Tree Canopy Study 201
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IE11.1 - Attachment 2 Tree Canopy Study 201 Prepared by: KBM Resources Group Lallemand Inc./BioForest Dillon Consulting Limited 8 With Special Advisors Peter Duinker and James Steenberg, Dalhousie University 2018 Tree Canopy Study Consulting Team Lallemand Inc./BioForest Allison Craig, MFC John Barker, MFC KBM Resources Group Rike Burkhardt, MFC, RPF Ben Kuttner, PhD, RPF Arnold Rudy, MScF Dillon Consulting Limited David Restivo, HBSc, EP John Fairs, HBA Sarah Galloway, HBES Merrilees Willemse, HBA, MCIP, RPP Dalhousie University (Special Advisors) Peter Duinker, PhD James Steenberg, PhD Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the field crews, who recorded the i-Tree data used to generate many of the findings in this report: Lallemand Inc./BioForest: Ahmad Alamad, Laura Brodey, George Chen, Jessica Corrigan, Aurora Lavender, Julia Reale Dillon Consulting Ltd: Trevor Goulet Our thanks go to the City of Toronto Steering Committee members who provided valuable insight and expertise. Daniel Boven, Acting Manager Beth McEwen, Manager Forestry Policy and Planning Forest & Natural Area Management Connie Pinto, Program Standards & Carol Walker, Manager Development Officer Urban Forestry – EWMS Project Forestry Policy and Planning Raymond Vendrig, Manager Ryan Garnett, Manager Urban Forestry Renewal Geospatial Data Integration & Access Page i of 270 2018 Tree Canopy Study Our thanks go also to the key experts who provided input on the draft key findings. Amory Ngan, Project Manager, Tree Planting Strategy, Urban Forestry Andrew Pickett, Urban Forestry Coordinator (A), Urban Forestry Christine Speelman, Sr. Project Coordinator (A), Urban Forestry David Kellershohn, Manager, Stormwater Manager, Toronto Water Jane Welsh, Project Manager, Zoning Bylaw & Environmental Planning, City Planning Jane Weninger, Sr. Planner, Policy & Research, City Planning Jackie Hamilton, Research Analyst, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Kristina Hausmanis, Project Manager, Public Realm, Transportation Services Paul Fleiszer, Associate Director (A), Surveillance & Epidemiology, Toronto Public Health Wendy Strickland, Project Manager, Ravine Strategy, Parks Page ii of 270 2018 Tree Canopy Study Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................... 14 1 | Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 16 1.1 | Context .............................................................................................................. 16 1.2 | Key Study Findings ............................................................................................ 18 1.3 | Overview of Study Results ................................................................................. 19 1.3.1 | State of Toronto’s Street Trees ................................................................... 19 1.3.2 | State of the Urban Forest ............................................................................ 22 1.4 | Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 26 2 | Introduction............................................................................................................... 31 2.1 | Study Background ............................................................................................. 31 2.2 | 2018 Study Purpose and Objectives and Methodologies................................... 32 2.2.1 | Purpose and Objectives .............................................................................. 32 2.2.2 | Land and Tree Cover Assessment Methodologies ...................................... 33 2.2.3 | i-Tree Eco Assessment ............................................................................... 36 3 | Planning Context ...................................................................................................... 37 3.1 | Forestry Service Pillars: Maintain, Protect, Plant, Plan ...................................... 38 4 | Progress Report on Past Study and Plan Recommendations .................................. 41 5 | 2018 Tree Canopy Study Findings ........................................................................... 45 5.1 | Distribution of Canopy in Toronto ...................................................................... 45 5.2 | Canopy Change Assessment ............................................................................ 52 5.2.1 | Overall Canopy Change Across Toronto ..................................................... 52 5.2.2 | Canopy Change by Neighbourhood ............................................................ 60 5.2.3 | Canopy Change by Land Use ..................................................................... 62 5.3 | Distribution and change in Tree Cover by Watershed ....................................... 65 6 | Land Cover Change in Toronto (2008-2018) ............................................................ 70 7 | Key Findings from the 2018 i-Tree Eco Studies ....................................................... 75 7.1 | 2018 i-Tree Eco Urban Forest Results – Highlights ........................................... 75 7.1.1 | Population and Leaf Area of the Urban Forest ............................................ 75 7.1.2 | Size Class Distribution ................................................................................ 76 7.1.3 | Tree Canopy and Land Ownership ............................................................. 77 Page iii of 270 2018 Tree Canopy Study 7.1.4 | Species Composition and Diversity ............................................................. 78 7.1.5 | Invasive Species ......................................................................................... 79 7.1.6 | Tree Condition ............................................................................................. 82 7.1.7 | Carbon Storage and Sequestration ............................................................. 83 7.1.8 | Pollution Removal ....................................................................................... 83 7.1.9 | Energy Savings ........................................................................................... 84 7.2 | Status Report on Toronto’s Street Trees ........................................................... 84 7.2.1 | The Role of Street Trees in the Urban Forest ............................................. 84 7.2.2 | Highlights of the Street Tree Benefits Analysis ........................................... 86 7.2.3 | Street Tree Condition/Health ....................................................................... 87 7.2.4 | Species Composition & Diversity ................................................................ 88 7.2.5 | Size Class Distribution ................................................................................ 90 7.2.6 | Street Tree Planting .................................................................................... 92 8 | Opportunities for Expanding Toronto’s Tree Canopy ............................................... 93 8.1 | Possible Planting Area (PPA) ............................................................................ 93 8.1.1 | Pervious Possible Planting Area ................................................................. 95 8.1.2 | Impervious Possible Planting Area .............................................................. 99 9 | Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 100 Glossary ...................................................................................................................... 102 Appendix A: Street Tree Benefits Analysis .................................................................. 104 Background & Rationale .......................................................................................... 104 Methodology ............................................................................................................ 105 Results and Discussion ........................................................................................... 106 References .............................................................................................................. 112 Street Tree Benefits and Values by City Ward ........................................................ 113 Appendix B: 2018 i-Tree Eco Complete Study Report ................................................ 114 i-Tree Eco Field Survey ........................................................................................... 114 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 114 i-Tree Eco Results ................................................................................................... 119 Overview .............................................................................................................. 119 Forest Composition and Structure ........................................................................ 121 Ecosystem Services ............................................................................................. 138 Page iv of 270 2018 Tree Canopy Study Toronto’s Future Urban Forest ................................................................................ 144 Invasive Plant Monitoring ......................................................................................... 149 References