SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed research will evaluate the use of panoramic, street-level imagery to support and enhance community forestry. Similar to a windshield survey, these publicly available mapping resources can provide baseline data on tree species or genus, diameter, and condition that can be used to support future planting initiatives and best management practices. Furthermore, when combined with both manual and computer-assisted techniques, they offer new opportunities to perform first-pass street tree inventories regardless of weather or season, to supplement and quickly spot-check third-party inventory data, or even provide enough information for small and underserved communities to initiate community forestry programs for the first time. A healthy community forest can assist with storm water mitigation efforts, shade buildings to save energy, improve air quality, increase property values, reduce noise and surface temperature levels, and positively impact human health. Having a current inventory of all street trees and tree planting sites is a critical component of planning and maintaining the community forest, but many communities are constrained by the investments in consulting costs or staff time that field-based inventories would require. Project objectives will include developing a software prototype that will enable even a single volunteer in a small community to perform first-pass tree inventories without ever leaving their computers. The results will be compared to more labor-intensive fieldwork to determine the software's real-world utility. Project reports will offer important insight into the potential of virtual tree inventories as a supplement or first-pass alternative to other types of inventories for small or underserved communities.

The goal of this research is to enable users to take advantage of panoramic ground-level imagery toremotely discern the presence of street trees in their neighborhoods and to derive the geographiccoordinates and baseline data on tree species or genus diameter and condition that can be used tosupport future planting initiatives and best management practices.By providing an alternative totraditional labor- and cost-intensive fieldwork Treetective will make tree inventories moreattainable particularly for smaller communities with limited staff and volunteer resources.An important part of any community forestry management program is an accurate inventory of alltrees and tree planting sites.Knowing the composition distribution and condition of thecommunity forest supports activities ranging from baseline maintenance and liability mitigation tobudget allocation and long-term planning related to climate change pests and diseases.Mostinventory methods involve extensive fieldwork in conjunction with paper tallies spreadsheets orsome type of inventory software.While field-based inventories provide invaluable information thecost in staff consulting or volunteer time is often out of reach for many communities.Project objectives will include developing a production-ready software application that will enableeven a single volunteer in a small community to perform first-pass tree inventories without everleaving their computers.The results will be compared to more labor-intensive fieldwork todetermine the software's real-world utility.Project reports will offer important insight into thepotential of remote tree inventories as a supplement or first-pass alternative to other types ofinventories for small or underserved communities.