Street Tree Inventory Report Sabin Neighborhood November 2015 Street Tree Inventory Report: Sabin Neighborhood November 2015
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Street Tree Inventory Report Sabin Neighborhood November 2015 Street Tree Inventory Report: Sabin Neighborhood November 2015 Written by: Kat Davidson, Angie DiSalvo, Julie Fukuda, Jeremy Grotbo, and Jeff Ramsey Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry 503-823-4484 [email protected] http://portlandoregon.gov/parks/treeinventory King-Sabin Tree Inventory Organizers: Melissa Barber, Van Bogner, Amy Grotta, Amanda Johansen, Maureen Raad, and Teri Rowan Staff Neighborhood Coordinator: Julie Fukuda Data Collection Volunteers: Brian Atkinson, Amber Ayers, Melissa Barber, Darren Biles, Van Bogner, Loni Brennan, Heather Buley, Max Carlstrom, Brittany Clarke, Tracy Cozine, Matthew Downs, Rachel Finch, Lise Gervais, Amy Grotta, Lee Greer, Chad Honl, Amanda Johansen, Kyle Lempinen, Catherine Mushel, Brett Meyer, Louis Miles, Kevin Pozzi, Maureen Raad, Teri Rowan, Peggy Thompson, Gary Thompson, Gabriel Trainer, Chuck Veneklase, Emily Wilson, and Marc Willwerth Data Entry Volunteers: Tsung Hwa Sophie Burkhart, Max Carlstrom, Catherine Clark, Deborah Danner, Aidan Forsi, John Frewing, Jim Gersbach, Kathryn Peterson, Gary Thompson, Peggy Thompson, and Mary Lyn Villaume Arborist-on-Call Volunteers: Eric Blaser, Jim Gersbach, Chad Honl, and Fred Nilsen GIS Technical Support: Josh Darling and Jeremy Grotbo, Portland Parks & Recreation Financial Support: Portland Parks & Recreation Cover Photos (from top left to bottom right): 1) A flowering pagoda tree Sophora( japonica). 2) The unusual fruit of a silverbell (Halesia spp.) 3) Michelia (Magnolia maudiae) flowers profusely starting in February. 4) Stomatal bloom on the lower leaf surfaces of an elkorn cedar (Thujopsis dolabrata). 5) Close-up view of chitalpa (x Chitalpa tashkentensis) flowers. 6) The fruit and foliage of a fringe tree (Chionanthus spp.) 7) A bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) displaing wavy leaf margins. 8) Large pores on the leathery leaf surface of an olive (Olea europaea.) ver. 10/15/2015 Portland Parks & Recreation 1120 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1302 Portland, Oregon 97204 (503) 823-PLAY Commissioner Amanda Fritz www.PortlandParks.org Director Mike Abbaté Table of Contents Key Findings .......................................... 1 About Portland’s Street Tree Inventory ..................... 3 Sabin Street Tree Inventory .............................. 5 Neighborhood Characteristics ......................... 5 Urban Forest Composition............................ 6 Species diversity and tree type composition ........... 6 Functional tree type .............................. 8 Size class distribution ............................. 9 Mature tree form distribution ..................... 10 Importance value................................ 10 Tree Condition .................................... 11 Planting Site Composition and Stocking Level ........... 13 Planting sites................................... 13 Stocking level .................................. 14 Right tree in the right place ....................... 14 Replacement Value ................................. 15 Environmental and Aesthetic Benefits .................. 16 The Future Forest of Sabin........................... 17 Recommendations ..................................... 21 Next Steps: Tree Plans and Tree Teams .................... 23 References ........................................... 25 Appendices........................................... 27 A: Methods ....................................... 27 B: Street trees of Sabin by tree type .................... 29 C: Street trees of Sabin by size (map) ................... 32 D: Vulnerability to key pests (map)..................... 33 E: Young street trees (trees ≤ 3” DBH) (map)............. 34 F: Large street trees (trees > 24” DBH) (map) ............ 35 G: Poor and dead street trees (map) .................... 36 H: Planting site types (map) .......................... 37 I: Planting site sizes (map)............................ 38 J: Available street tree planting sites (map) ............... 39 K: Priority street tree planting sites (map) ............... 40 Portland Parks & Recreation i Volunteers, guided by Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry staff, collected data on all 2,325 street trees within Sabin neighborhood to compile the neighborhood’s first complete street tree inventory. The data are being used to inform the creation of a Neighborhood Tree Plan to guide volunteers in caring for their community’s trees. ii Street Tree Inventory Report – Sabin Neighborhood 2015 Key Findings This report provides the results of a street tree inventory conducted in Sabin neighborhood in 2015, along with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) Urban Forestry staff recommendations for the King-Sabin tree team. Over the course of four work days, 33 volunteers contributed more than 192 hours collecting data on each of the neighborhood’s 2,325 street trees. URBAN FOREST STRUCTURE • Sabin’s street tree population is dominated by maple, crabapple, and cherry and does not meet recommended species diversity guidelines. One in four trees is a maple (Acer) and only two families, Rosaceae and Sapindaceae, account for more than half of the street tree resource. Lack of species diversity leaves Sabin’s street tree population vulnerable to pests, pathogens, and effects of a changing climate. The dominance of broadleaf deciduous trees (96%) points to a need to diversify functional diversity in order to maximize value and create a more resilient, sustainable urban forest. • There are many young trees in Sabin. This is likely the result of successful tree planting efforts in recent years and provides an opportunity for inexpensive young tree maintenance activities that will reduce future costs and ensure the longevity of these trees. If young trees are properly cared for today, Sabin will have a healthier age distribution of street trees in the future. • Only 11% of Sabin’s street trees are large form varieties. Large form trees are necessary to increase canopy cover and the benefits they provide for Sabin’s residents. Planting the estimated 72 large available spaces identified in this inventory will maximize tree canopy in Sabin's rights-of-way. TREE CONDITION • The majority of trees inventoried in Sabin are in fair or good condition. Of trees that rated poor, 49% are in the Rosaceae family. Two-thirds of dead trees are under 3” DBH. PLANTING SITES AND STOCKING LEVEL • The predominance of small and medium planting sites in Sabin poses a challenge to the growth and longevity of street trees. These sites represent over 90% of planting spaces in the neighborhood. Although it is important to plant all available spaces, in some areas this may not be enough to equitably distribute canopy in Sabin. Creative expansion of planting sites or increased planting on private property may be the only ways to meet canopy goals. • 72% of street tree planting sites have trees in Sabin. Planting efforts should focus on the largest sites with no overhead high voltage wires first, as large form trees will provide the most long-term benefits to the neighborhood. However, in order to distribute canopy benefits to all neighborhood residents, planting efforts should also include small and medium sites. URBAN FOREST VALUE AND BENEFITS • Sabin’s street trees produce an estimated $297,687 annually in environmental and aesthetic benefits. The replacement value of this resource is approximately $7 million. Planting efforts focused on appropriately sized trees distributed across the neighborhood will ensure that future benefits are equitably distributed among all residents. Portland Parks & Recreation 1 Clockwise from top left: 1)The fragrant epaulette tree (Pterostyrax hispidus) is in the snowbell family (Styracaceae), and although it is perfectly hardy in our climate it is an unusal find. 2) Norway maples planted along NE Skidmore Street at the Sabin Hydropark. 3) At 74.9” DBH this Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra) is the largest diameter street tree in Sabin. 4) This common horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is Portland Heritage Tree #249 on NE Going near NE 14th Place. 2 Street Tree Inventory Report – Sabin Neighborhood 2015 About Portland’s Street Tree Inventory THE IMPORTANCE OF STREET TREES Street trees are an important public asset in urban environments, serving as a buffer between our transportation corridors and our homes while enhancing the livability of our city. As integral components of a community’s green infrastructure, street trees provide multiple economic, environmental, and social benefits such as cleaner air and water, cooler summer temperatures, safer streets, and increased property values. Unlike traditional, “grey” infrastructure, which begins to deteriorate the moment it is installed, the benefits that street trees provide increase over the lifetime of the tree, making their planting and maintenance one of the best investments a city and its residents can make. While street trees are only one component of Portland’s urban forest, they are particularly important because they are the trees that residents Urban forests are complex, living interact with most. Having adequate information resources that interact both about the street tree population allows a community to make informed decisions about species selection, positively and negatively with the planting, and maintenance priorities. Information on surrounding environment. They the location, condition, and diversity of the street tree produce multiple benefits and have population enables our communities to steward this resource and ensure its