Your Urban Forest
Creating a Tree Census in Your Community
DATA SHEET
*As you explore your school yard, collect data on 4-5 trees in your plot. When choosing your trees try to choose trees with a DBH greater than 3 inches.
This would mean the tree’s circumference would be ~greater than 9 inches. Therefore you will want to take the DBH measurement first. Scientists
completing the Tree Census collected the DBH as well as a number of other data points. Consider collecting the “optional observations in order to get a
“whole picture” of the trees in your school yard. You never know how your observations will help to answer questions or lead to interesting observations
concerning the trees in your community.
Group Members Names:
Plot # and Description
(Mark on your School
Yard Map or describe
the location in the box
below)
1
Tree Species
(Use Tree Finder or Tree id
information to determine each
species)
Species:
Leaf Drawing:
(Circle one)
Estimated distance to closest man-made
structure (building, road, sidewalk etc):
_______feet
Calculate the Diameter- Formula is:
Circumference / 𝜋 (3.14) Other Observations: (Does the tree look
healthy to you? Why or why not?)
Shady?
Partial Sun and Shade?
Circumference at Breast Height :
OPTIONAL:
Other Observations (Estimated
Distance to closest building etc.)
______inches
Is the plot:
Sunny?
Calculate the DBH
(Diameter at Breast Height- (taken at
approx. 4.5 feet above ground)Use Tape
Measure to measure circumference and
then calculate the DBH)
Bark Description:
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH):
________inches
2
Is the plot:
Sunny?
Species:
Leaf Drawing:
Sunny?
_______feet
Other Observations: (Does the tree look
Bark Description:
Species:
Circumference at Breast Height :
Leaf Drawing:
Calculate the Diameter- Formula is:
Circumference / 𝜋
Shady?
______inches
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH):
________inches
Partial Sun and Shade?
(Circle one)
structure (building, road, sidewalk etc):
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH):
healthy to you? Why or why not?)
________inches
Partial Sun and Shade?
3
Is the plot:
______inches Estimated distance to closest man-made
Calculate the Diameter- Formula is:
Circumference / 𝜋
Shady?
(Circle one)
Circumference at Breast Height :
Bark Description:
Estimated distance to closest man-made
structure (building, road, sidewalk etc):
_______feet
Other Observations: (Does the tree look
healthy to you? Why or why not?)
4
Is the plot:
Circumference at Breast Height :
Leaf Drawing:
Calculate the Diameter- Formula is:
Circumference / 𝜋
Sunny?
Shady?
Estimated distance to closest man-made
Species:
______inches structure (building, road, sidewalk etc):
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH):
________inches
Partial Sun and Shade?
(Circle one)
Bark Description:
5
Is the plot:
Species:
Circumference at Breast Height :
Leaf Drawing:
Calculate the Diameter- Formula is:
Circumference / 𝜋
Sunny?
Shady?
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH):
________inches
Partial Sun and Shade?
(Circle one)
______inches
_______feet
Other Observations: (Does the tree look
healthy to you? Why or why not?)
Estimated distance to closest man-made
structure (building, road, sidewalk etc):
_______feet
Other Observations: (Does the tree look
healthy to you? Why or why not?)
Bark Description:
Total # of Trees in your survey plot:
Total # of trees measured in your survey plot:
Your Urban Forest
Creating a Tree Census in Your Community
WHOLE CLASS DATA SHEET
Tree Species Inventory
As a class record all the trees you found in your school yard and tally the total # of each tree species.
Tree Species (Common Name)
# of this species in your survey plot
TOTAL
*Once you have compiled this list as a class, compare it to Table 1: Tree Species, found in the Tree Census. Use
the discussion prompts to compare your data to that collected by scientists as part of the Tree Census
Largest DBH (Diameter at Breast Height)
*As a class compile a list the tree species by diameter of tree trunk. This should give a relative idea of which
trees on your property are the oldest. If you do not have any trees that fit within a size range for DBH write
NONE.
DBH (inches)
Tree Species from your plot whose DBH is found within this range
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15
16-18
19-21
22-24
25-27
26-30
31+
*Once you have compiled this list as a class, compare it to Table 2: Tree Diameter and Size, found in the Urban
Tree Census Data Excel Workbook. Use the discussion prompts to compare your data to that collected by
scientists as part of the Urban Tree Census of the Chicago Region.
Tree Benefits by DBH
*Each group will complete the chart below for the trees they measured using, Table 3: Tree Diameter and
Pollution /Carbon $, found in the Tree Census. Then as a class you will compile a total $$ and pounds of carbon
removed from all the trees in your schoolyard.
My Group’s Tree Totals:
Tree Species
Carbon Sequestered
Pounds per year (lbs)
$$ per year
Pollution
Pounds per year (lbs) $$ per year
Tree #1
Tree #2
Tree #3
Tree #4
Tree #5
TOTAL
TOTAL $$
$
$
$
Class Tree Totals:
# of Trees
Measured
Carbon Sequestered
Pounds per year (lbs)
Pollution
$$ per year
Pounds per year
(lbs)
$$ per year
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
TOTAL
TOTAL $$
$
Total # of Trees Measured and Calculated:
$
$
Urban Tree Census Data from the Chicago Region
TABLE 1: Trees Species of the Chicago Region
Tree Species
European Buckthorn
Green Ash
Boxelder
Black Cherry
American Elm
Sugar Maple
White Ash
Amur Honeysuckle
Silver Maple
Black Locust
Black Walnut
Siberian Elm
Easterm Cottonwood
Norway Maple
White Oak
Honeysuckle spp
Eastern White Pine
Scientific Name
Rhamnus Cathartica
Fraxinus Pennsyvanica
Acer negundo
Prunus serotina
Ulmus Americana
Acer saccharum
Fraxinus Americana
Lonicera maackii
Acer saccharinum
Robinia pseudoaccacia
Juglans nigra
Ulmus pumila
Populus deltoids
Acer platanoides
Quercus Alba
Lonicera species
Pinus Strobus
This is a list of the tree species
that had the largest population %
in the Chicago Region. Do you see
any of the species that you
measured in your survey area? If
so highlight them.
# of Trees
44281470
8657000
8597890
7737030
5363030
4457170
4025410
3370400
3209940
2972090
2469240
2240590
2198060
1858800
1857380
1559430
1525970
Other Discussion Questions:
- Look at the list of tree species that you compiled as a class.
How does your list compare? Are the trees that you have the
largest population of the same as the trees with the largest
population in the Chicago region? Why do you think? Why not?
- Do you have other trees on your data sheet not found here?
Did you know that the Tree Census estimates the
Chicago-land Urban Forest is made up of 161 different
species of trees?
- What do you think about how your data compares? Explain
why or why not the trees in your school yard match (or do not
match) the Census Data.
Urban Tree Census Data from the Chicago Region
TABLE 2: Tree Diameters and Size (DBH)
Tree Species
European Buckthorn
Green Ash
Boxelder
Black Cherry
American Elm
Sugar Maple
White Ash
Amur Honeysuckle
Silver Maple
Black Locust
Black Walnut
Siberian Elm
Easterm Cottonwood
Norway Maple
White Oak
Honeysuckle spp
Eastern White Pine
Median DBH inches
2.1
3.8
4.4
4.5
4
2.5
3.4
2
10.6
7.2
5.8
5.5
8.8
5.7
15.1
2.1
9
Mean (Average) DBH inches
2.6
5.8
6.7
5.8
5.4
4.2
5
2.4
13.3
7.3
7.6
8
12.4
8.6
15.2
2.6
9.6
This chart contains information about the diameters of trees in the Chicagoland region with the greatest
population. For each tree there is a median and mean value for the tree diameter.
Do you know the difference between a median and a mean? Here is a hint: A median in a road is found in
the middle and divides the traffic of the road. As such, a median in a data set is the middle number that
divides the low values of the data set from the high values. A mean is the average of all the data.
How does the DBH that you collected for the trees in your school yard compare to that of the Tree
Census?
TABLE 3: Tree Diameters and Pollution/Carbon $
DBH (inches)
1 to 3
4 to 6
7 to 9
10 to 12
13 to 15
16 to 18
19 to 21
22 to 24
25 to 27
26 to 30
31+
Carbon Sequestered
Pounds (lbs)per yr
$$ per yr
1.7
.02
5.3
.05
10.1
.10
17.1
.18
22.8
.24
33.4
.35
40.3
.42
51.0
.53
63.5
.66
72.9
.75
108.5
1.12
Pollution Removal
Pounds (lbs) per yr
$$ per yr
0.04
0.1
0.3
0.5
0.8
1
1.1
1.3
1.6
1.6
2.6
0.15
0.46
1.07
1.95
3
3.81
4.3
4.88
6.08
6.01
9.79
Look at the data from the trees you collected in your school yard. Use the DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) in
order to determine how these trees benefit your local community.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide as part of photosynthesis. The rate at which trees absorb CO₂ varies by age and
species of the tree. However this is known as carbon sequestration. Trees also store carbon in their branches
and trunks and thus become a carbon “sink” over time.
First you will compile the data from the trees that just your group collected. Then you will share your totals
with the whole class.
Did you know? The trees in the Chicago-land area store the annual (yearly) carbon emissions from over 10
million cars!!!!
How to Use iTree Design to Analyze your Community Tree Census
A Student Guide
1. First begin by visiting: http://www.itreetools.org/design.php
2. Next enter the address of school or survey site where they completed their census.
3. Once you have entered the address, a google map of this address should appear on the next page. Zoom in
so that most of the screen view is of the structure (home or school building). Choose “Yes” to calculate the
impact of trees on your cooling and heating utility bill.
Note See Example Image Below:
4. Next you will need to “Draw the structure”. For this you will need to capture the building in the blue
shaded area. Position your structure at the top of map area. The blue shaded region originates from the
blue shape icon at the top center of the screen. Use the Blue Shape in the top center of the screen in order to
capture your building in the blue shaded area.
Note: See example image below:
5. Next select when the structure was built, if it is heated and cooled and then choose “OK”
6. Next you will need to place the trees that you collected during your School Yard Census. Choose the Tree
Species; enter the DBH in the “tree diameter” box.
7. Using the Tree icon in the top center of the map window drag the trees to an estimated location of where
you measured each tree.
Note: See example image below:
8. Next click “Estimate Benefits” and choose a number of years to track the benefits of your trees. You should
track your tree’s benefits over a number of years.(1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25) Use your student worksheet to record
and track your tree’s benefits over time. Note: See example image below:
9. Look at the total savings (in green), the overall benefits as well as the connection to storm-water, energy,
air quality and carbon dioxide. Once you are ready to go back and track another number of years click the
“Return to Setup” found in blue in the upper right-hand corner of the window.
How to Use iTree Design to Analyze your Community Tree Census
A Student Worksheet
Data Chart to Track Your Community Census Trees Benefits Overtime
Current Year (1)
$
Annual
Benefit
($$)
5 years
$
10 years
$
15 years
$
20 years
$
25 years
$
Graph it!
-
-
Using the data in your chart, graph these values on a separate sheet of paper (Copy and paste this chart into
Excel and graph these points using an Excel Workbook Page.
o What type of graph will you create? Why?
What does this data tell you? Answer the reflection questions below:
o What surprises you about this data? What do you find interesting?
Dig Deeper!
Look at some of the other “tabs” in the results section and record a few things that you learned about how
the trees in your school yard impact: storm-water, energy, air quality, and carbon dioxide. What did you
find interesting?
Storm-water
Energy
Air Quality
Carbon Dioxide
Facts that I




found
interesting:
-
o
o
o
Who should you share this information with? Why would it be important to them?
How can this data impact decisions made around your school? Home?
Based off of your data, do the trees in your school yard have value? What impact would more trees
have?
The Future of Your Urban Forest
Discussion Prompts and Questions to Synthesize the Data from Your Community Tree Census
*Cut apart each of the questions below individually (On the dotted line). Assemble the question
strips into 1 set. Each student group (3-4 students) will need 1 set of questions.
The steps that your group took to collect data on the trees in your school yard is
similar to the steps that researchers used to collect data for the Urban Trees and
Forests of the Chicago Region. Why do you think it is important to collect data on the
different trees of Chicagoland?
As part of your analysis you identified a number of benefits that the trees in your
school yard provide for your community/school. Besides these benefits ($$ and
carbon lbs.), what other benefits do these trees provide for your school community?
Who do you think utilizes these trees (Humans, animals etc.)?
How do you think increasing the number of trees in your school yard would impact
your community? Where do you think you should plant them? Which parts of your
data would you use to convince community members, leaders or others to invest in
these tree plantings?
You collected data on the trees surrounding your school. Where else would you like
to measure trees in your community? Why? How could you use this information to
improve the urban forest in your community?
What was the largest DBH measurement that you found among the trees you
measured? What would you estimate the ages of many of the trees in your school
yard to be? Old(20 years +) ? Young? (1-5 years old)? Mid-Age (10-15 years)? What
do you think the age of the trees you measured says about the overall health of your
urban forest? How long do you think trees live?
Here is a picture of European Buckthorn. Data from
the Tree Census determined that this tree/shrub species was the most commonly
found in the Chicago land region. This tree/shrub is also considered an invasive
species.2 Did you find this plant in your census? Do you think it is a good plant to have
the largest population of in Chicago-land? Why or why not?
1
1
2
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Invasive species: A species (plant or animal) that is not native to the area it is found in. Oftentimes invasive species were
introduced into the environment by humans or human related activities. In many cases these species can have negative impacts on
the environments they have been introduced to.
The Future of Your Urban Forest
Goal and Action Steps Organizer
*How can you use this data to improve your school yard? Who should you share this data with?
Part 1: Set a GOAL
As a group, brainstorm some ideas and then decide on a goal you want to accomplish to improve, add to or
protect your urban forest.
GOAL:
Action Steps
What are your next steps? What do you need to do to accomplish this goal? What materials will you need?
How long do you think it will take? Use the organizer below to lay out your action steps and timeline.
Action Step
Materials
Timeline
(What materials will you need (How long will it
to complete this step?)
take to complete
this step?)