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How to Use i-Tree Species
Welcome!
i-Tree Species helps you determine the suitability of various tree species for local use given your preferences of tree characteristics and functions. The end product of the application, a ranked list of recommended tree species, can be used to inform the decision-making process for local urban forest management.
Interested in viewing this How-To text while you work on your Species project? Click on the Menu drop-down list, in the navigation bar, at the top of the page, then select Help. Right-click How to Use and click Open Link in New Window. This will open the How-To text in a separate window so you can conveniently view both webpages at once.
Project Steps
Successfully creating a project in i-Tree Species is easy! Simply, work left to right through the tabs providing the required data as you go. (To move between tabs, click the Next button or click on the desired tab itself.)
1. Location
On the “Location” tab, identify the geographic location of your study area. Location information dictates the hardiness zone of your study area. Hardiness zone is used to eliminate tree species from the recommended list that are unlikely to survive in the local climate.
For study areas in the United States, provide the following information in order:
- Nation
- Select the country of your study area from the drop-down list.
- State/Province
- Select the primary administrative boundary of your study area (e.g., Massachusetts) from the drop-down list.
- County/Division
- Select the secondary administrative boundary of your study area (e.g., Suffolk County) from the drop-down list.
- City
- Select the local administrative boundary of your study area (e.g., Boston) from the drop-down list.
For study areas that are located outside of the United States, only “Nation” is to be entered. However, this must be supplemented by the following data which is used in place of hardiness zone to determine the species that can persist in the local climate.
- Average Minimum Temperature
- Select the average minimum temperature (Celsius) of the study area from the drop-down list.
- Growing Season Length
- Enter the number of days in the year during which time plants are able to grow (i.e., growing season) by typing in the space provided or using the up and down arrows.
Use the Clear Section button to discard the data that you have entered in this form and start over.
You can continue to the next tab by clicking the Next button or by clicking on the Constraints tab. The information that you have provided here will be preserved either way.
2. Constraints
On the “Constraints” tab, identify the height restrictions that you would like to use for your project. Height information is used to eliminate tree species from the recommended list that do not fall within your desired height range. Species’ heights are based on typical height at maturity.
Enter the following information:
- Units
- Choose to enter minimum and maximum heights in English or Metric units by selecting the corresponding button.
- Minimum Height
- Enter the desired minimum height in feet or meters by typing in the space provided or using the up and down arrows.
- Maximum Height
- Enter the desired maximum height in feet or meters by typing in the space provided or using the up and down arrows.
Defining minimum and/or maximum height is optional. If one or both of these variables is not defined, no limit will be applied for the blank variable.
Use the Clear Section button to discard the data that you have entered in this form and start over.
You can continue to the next tab by clicking the Next button or by clicking on the Functions tab. The information that you have provided here will be preserved either way.
3. Functions
On the “Functions” tab, identify and prioritize the environmental functions that you would like considered in your project. Desired functionality is used to rank tree species in the recommended list based on species’ environmental benefits at maturity.
Rank each of the environmental functions from 0 to 10 by moving the sliding bar left or right. A rank of 10 is most important while 0 means that the environmental function will not be considered as your species list is ranked. Environmental functions are 0 by default.
For “Air Pollutant Removal,” there are several options available.
- Air Pollutant Removal
- Trees remove pollutants from the air by capturing them on plant surfaces or absorbing them through leaf stomata. Rank the importance of selecting species for their potential to remove air pollutants.
- Pollutant Removal
- Choose to rank air pollutant removal as “Overall” or “Specific” by selecting the corresponding button. To consider the potential of species to remove all air pollutants, select “Overall.” To rank each pollutant separately, select “Specific.”
The “Other Functions” consist of the following eight environmental functions:
- Low VOC Emissions
- Some species emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are a precursor to ozone formation. Rank the importance of selecting species that have low VOC emissions
- Carbon Storage
- Trees sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as woody material. Rank the importance of selecting species for their potential to capture carbon dioxide.
- Wind Reduction
- Strategically planted trees can serve as wind breaks, reducing heating energy needs. Rank the importance of selecting species for their ability to slow the flow of wind.
- Air Temperature Reduction
- Trees can help reduce the urban heat island effect through evapotranspiration. Rank the importance of selecting species for their potential to lower air temperatures.
- UV Radiation Reduction
- Plant leaves absorb 90-95% of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that passes through them, which can help protect us from sunburn and associated skin damage, including cancer. Rank the importance of selecting species for their potential to reduce UV radiation.
- Building Energy Reduction
- Trees can reduce building energy use indirectly (by reducing the overall urban heat island effect) and directly (by shading buildings and serving as wind breaks). Rank the importance of selecting species for their potential to reduce the heating and cooling demand of a building.
- Streamflow Reduction
- Trees can help slow stormwater runoff and the flow of water into streams and rivers by intercepting rainfall and through evapotranspiration. Rank the importance of selecting species for their potential to reduce runoff and stream flow.
- Low Allergenicity
- Different tree species produce different amounts of allergy-causing pollen. Rank the importance of selecting species for their reduced potential to cause allergic reactions.
Use the Clear Section button to discard the data that you have entered in this form and start over.
You can continue to the next tab by clicking the Next button or by clicking on the Reports tab. The information that you have provided here will be preserved either way.
4. Report
After working through each of the tabs to provide the information to guide your species recommendations, it is time to view your ranked list! On the “Reports” tab, identify your desired report type and view your report.
Choose a “Report Type” by selecting the corresponding button.
- Top 10%
- Choose to view the best matches (top 10%) for the information you provided by selecting “Top 10%.”
- All
- Choose to view the entire ranked list grouped into 10% categories by selecting “All.”
The report will automatically be generated based on your “Report Type” selection. Your ranked species list is developed using an algorithm that takes all of the species in the i-Tree Species database and orders them according to your environmental function rankings. Species that are not suited to the local climate, as determined by hardiness zone or required climate variables, or are out of your defined height range are not included in the list.
Reports contain the following information:
- Scientific Name
- Scientific name, in latin, of the tree species.
- Common Name
- Common name of the tree species. Note: For modeling purposes each species has a single, unique common name. In actuality, species may have more than one common name and different common names may be recognized in different regions.
- Hardiness Zone
- Hardiness zones, or geographically defined areas, where the tree species is best able to survive.
- Invasive
- The tree species is identified as invasive (yes = X) based on local state invasive species lists. Note: Invasive data is not available for projects outside of the U.S.
- Sensitivity
- An indication of the tree species’ sensitivity to the following air pollutants: ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2).
- Pest Risk
- The tree species is a host to the insects or diseases listed here. The insects and diseases listed include only the pests that are known to be present in the local area based on pest range maps. Note: Pest data is not available for projects outside of the U.S.
Click on the Save Report button to save a copy of your report as a comma-separated values (CSV) file. Data exported as a CSV file are compatible with Microsoft Excel and text editors such as WordPad and Notepad.
Click on the Print Report button to print a copy of your report.
Click on the Start Overbutton to discard all of the data that you have entered. This allows you to start a new Species project. Be sure to save or print your project before starting over – you will lose all of the data that you entered if you do not.
Helpful Hints
The tips summarized here are also included throughout the help text, in italics.
Interested in viewing this How-To text while you work on your Species project? Click on the Menu drop-down list, in the navigation bar, at the top of the page, then select Help. Right-click How to Use and click Open Link in New Window. This will open the How-To text in a separate window so you can conveniently view both webpages at once.
Successfully creating a project in i-Tree Species is easy! Simply, work left to right through the tabs providing the required data as you go.
References
For more information about Species’ methods, visit our References page or go to www.itreetools.org under Resources > Archives > i-Tree Species Resources. To access our References page, click on the Menu drop-down list at the top of the Species window, select Help, and then click the References option.