Tree Information Planning System (TIPS)

Justification

The TIPS program is intended to reduce costs to parks departments and urban forestry departments through tree management. The system is designed to: 1) reduce planning time and tedium involved in choosing suitable trees, 2) reduce tree replacement costs resulting from poor tree selection, 3) eliminate unnecessary maintenance costs that result from poor tree selection, and 4) minimize repairs to damaged trees by reducing construction damages.

Because the average cost of purchasing and planting trees begins at ±$140 and ranges upward, it is necessary to plant the trees best suited to a site. In cases involving large trees it is technologically and financially difficult to replace them, therefore, it is important that damage to and losses of existing trees be kept to a minimum.

Another advantage of TIPS is that landscape designers can select trees for a large variety of areas without having to do a literature search for native or suitable exotics. The brief description included in TIPS allows the planner to choose a tree that fits the site conditions and the aesthetic requirements of the project.

Data

The TIPS program is divided into two files, tdent. Data and Tree. Data. The Ident. file includes site requirements relative to each tree on file. By comparing specific site characteristics entered by the planner with the general requirements of each tree in the Ident. file, TIPS generates a listing of tree species most suitable for the site in question. The Tree. Data file contains brief descriptions and site requirements. This file can be accessed either after obtaining the TIPS list of suitable trees or when a planner desires to obtain site requirements of a specific tree.

Data for TIPS was collected from an extensive review of existing literature. The available information for some trees is limited. For these trees a null value was entered for the missing site characteristic. This value causes the program to skip that characteristic when evaluating appropriateness of a tree.

Identification Data File

There are eight constraining site characteristics included in TIPS:

1. compaction

2. soil type

3. pH

4. soil moisture

5. maximum temperature

6. minimum temperature

7. shade tolerance

8. tree’s reaction to pollutants.

Tree Description File

The second file consists of the following tree descriptions:

1. deciduous or evergreen

2. autumn color

3. color, time, and visibility of flower

4. fruit characteristics

5. growth rate

6. size at maturity

7. maximum age

8. foliage texture

9. branching pattern

10. brittleness of wood

11. major insect and disease problems

12. special characteristics such as thorns or bark patterns

13. favorable site characteristics

This file can be accessed and used after a list of trees fitting a site is obtained or by simply entering the tree identification number. This approach should be useful to a planner who wants to find the site conditions required by a species. The tree identification numbers can be acquired by reviewing the file Sci. Data or Common. Data. Sci. Data lists trees alphabetically by scientific name whereas Common. Data lists trees alphabetically by common name.

System Description

The program for TIPS is written in Fortran, a widely used computer language. A planner using TIPS follows the following steps:

• Step 1. Activate the program by entering EXEC TIPS

• Step 2. The computer asks:

  “Do you want to see a list of Site Characteristics (such as Shade or Temperature Requirements).” If the user enters YES, a list of site characteristics is displayed. If NO is entered, the program advances to step 7.

• Step 3. The computer asks the user to enter the letter of the Site Characteristics which he finds limited to good tree growth.

• Step 4. The levels of the entered site characteristic are displayed and the user enters the appropriate level.

• Step 5. The computer asks:

  “Do you want to:

  1. see the list of characteristics?

  2. change a characteristic?

  3. list the trees meeting your current specifications?

  Choice “A” returns the user to Step 2, choice “B” returns to Step 4, and choice “C” advances the user to Step 6.

• Step 6. A list of trees is displayed and stored in a temporary file — MATCH.DATA for later reference.

• Step 7. The computer asks the user if he wants to select a tree by its Identification number. If the user enters YES, the computer goes to Step 8. If the response is NO, the program moves to Step 11.

• Step 8. The computer asks the user if he wants instructions on how to enter the I.D. number. If the user response is NO, the program advances to Step 10.

• Step 9. The computer provides instructions as to how to enter an I.D. number.

• Step 10. The user enters the I.D. number of a tree that he is interested in.

• Step 11. The computer asks the user:

  “Do you want to:

  1. see a tree description?

  2. list the trees meeting the current specifications?

  3. specify characteristics?

  4. stop?”

Selection “A” returns the user to Step 10, “B” displays the list of trees stored in MATCH.DATA, “C” returns the user to Step 5, and “D” ends the session.

System Constraints

TIPS is a computer assisted system for aiding a parks planner or urban forester quickly, efficiently, and more objectively make decisions about urban or park tree selection. Urban situations pose additional problems for the planner. Restricted ground space, restricted crown space, underground utilities and residual building materials are just a few of the problems. A landscape designer must decide the potential for a tree species under existing and future space restrictions. If the trees listed by TIPS are not suited for the given space restrictions, the planner needs to consider alternate trees or other planting material.

In the event that TIPS provides no trees that are suitable, then the planner should choose from the following alternatives: 1) alter the site so that suitable trees can be found, 2) use alternative plant material such as shrubs or groundcovers, or 3) use trees that are not optimally suited to the site and risk a potential loss of vigor.

Trees can survive on sites for which they are not optimally suited, but a sacrifice in tree quality and reduced vigor will result (Bilderback 1980). In addition, trees in poor health are generally more vulnerable to certain insect and disease problems than healthy trees.

The TIPS system makes no attempt to provide maintenance schedules for pruning and fertilizing. Obviously these schedules depend on the specific trees involved as well as the site. The commercial availability of tree species may pose problems in some areas. An attempt has been made to include native species in TIPS. However, many of these trees are not commonly grown by local nurseries. Planners need to work closely with local nurseries when making the final selection of trees.

Other constraints not addressed in the TIPS program are problems with size of trees planted. Large trees tend to lose more vital feeder roots than small trees when dug unless they have been root pruned for at least two years prior to digging (Kozlowski 1975). Due to lesser root damage, smaller trees tend to become established quicker than large trees. The best size of trees for planting ranges from ¾-1 ½ inches in caliper at the base of the stem (Pirone 1978). Besides becoming established less quickly, larger trees are more expensive.

By conferring with extension forestry specialists, landscape architects, and nursery operators, the above constraints have been recognized. Through further developments of TIPS, many of these constraints may be eliminated. Other constraints may be minimized by well-trained and experienced urban foresters and landscape planners.

Future Development

The approach to tree selection in park and urban situations through TIPS as it is presently developed is a prototype system. Program and data base expansion to include all trees native to the Eastern United States as well as suitable exotics is possible. Expanding TIPS data base beyond the Eastern United States may result in additional tree availability problems and make the system cumbersome. In this case it would be advisable to develop a TIPS program for trees of the Western United States.

From discussions with extension forestry specialists, landscape architects and nursery operators, it is felt that other systems that can be developed in conjunction with TIPS are: 1) a computer assisted system to select horticultural varieties, 2) a system to assist in the selection of shrubs, and 3) a reference system listing trees available at various nurseries. The first two systems are self explanatory. The third system would be a library developed system in cooperation with nurserymen and planners. Not only would this system provide an urban forester with a list of nurseries from which needed trees are available, but it would also enhance a much needed communication between planners and nurserymen.

Summary

TIPS is a first generation computerized system that assists a parks planner or urban forester in choosing trees most suited to a given site. Presently the system includes trees native to North Carolina, but through future expansions TIPS may include all trees native to the Eastern United States as well as suitable exotics.

With TIPS, a planner is able to find trees that fit existing sits and he is able to quickly find the site requirements for a given tree. By using TIPS, losses due to poor tree selection and construction damage can be reduced.