Urban Forests_Content Page_Minimum Tree Inventory Attributes

Minimum Tree Inventory Attributes

Organizations that pursue tree inventories using DNR Urban Forestry grant funds are required to provide their inventory data to the DNR. In order to organize and analyze this data across the state, the DNR requires the inventories include minimum information that can be incorporated into datasets and mapping applications, such as the Wisconsin Community Tree Map.

The inventory should track individual trees and be sent as a dataset of those individual trees, rather than summaries of, for example, total trees by species.

The inventory should be sent as a shapefile, geodatabase or a spreadsheet with x/y coordinates. Spreadsheets with tree locations only identifiable by street address are accepted but least preferred.

Data Fields

The following are the minimum, required data fields. Additional inventory fields can be found in the Common Tree Inventory Fields document. These fields are in many tree inventories and can be very useful but are not required by the DNR.

Contact your urban forestry regional coordinator with any questions about tree inventories.

Species

  • Preferred: Scientific name (e.g. Acer saccharum)
  • Accepted: Common genus, species (e.g. maple, sugar) or common name (e.g. sugar maple)
    • Note: Ensure spelling is correct and consistent. Capitalization does not matter for common names.

Location

  • Preferred: Exact location identified in a GIS format (in shapefile or geodatabase) or as x/y coordinates within a spreadsheet, with street address included, if applicable
  • Accepted: Spreadsheet with only street address as location is acceptable but least preferred

Diameter At Breast Height

This measurement should be taken in inches, measured at 4'6" inches above ground level.

  • Required: Whole number (e.g., 8 or 27), or to the nearest tenth of an inch (e.g., 5.9 or 12.5)

Condition

  • Required: Condition rating percentage (e.g., 60% or 0.60), or condition rating category (e.g., excellent, good, fair, poor or dead)
    • Note: While it’s useful to simplify tree condition to a single rating or word, as shown above, ensure that each tree is assessed in a consistent and holistic manner by an experienced arborist.

Inventory Year Or Date

  • Required: Year in xxxx format (e.g., 2011) or date in xx/xx/xxxx format (e.g., 06/18/1987)

Year Planted (If Known)

  • Required: Year, in xxxx format (e.g., 1999)