Tree Loss
Data from a recent study of land cover change indicates that the Metro Atlanta region is losing an average of 50 acres of tree canopy per day. For each acre of tree canopy lost, one acre of impervious surface is gained each day. This study, conducted in 2006 by Dr. Liz Kramer at The University of Georgia, compared satellite imagery from 1991 and 2005 to document the rate of tree loss in Georgia.
For more information about this study and to view imagery from the metro Atlanta area, visit the NARSAL (Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Laboratory) website.
Tree Inventories
Tree inventories document the species, diameter, health and location of community trees. Software such as iTREE are commonly used. To be most effective, an inventory should be continually updated and linked to GIS. Inventories range in costs from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. An inventory can help improve your work scheduling and cyclical maintenance program, improve your ability to respond to storm damage, enhance efficiency when responding to constituents’ requests and locate all trees of a single species in case of a disease outbreak.
