i-Tree Eco

This project aims to facilitate the use of i-Tree Eco in the UK. i-Tree Eco is a software application which is used to quantify the structure and environmental effects of urban trees and calculate their value to society. Data from an i-Tree Eco survey can be used for making effective resource management decisions, developing policy and setting priorities for a town’s trees and greenspaces.

Forest Research have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Treeconomics and the Arboricultural Association to deliver the “i-Tree UK” project, which has four main objectives:

• manage a development strategy for i-Tree tools in the UK
• collate and store data from i-Tree studies undertaken in the UK
• gather and share information about the value of the UK’s urban trees
• promote i-Tree in the UK and help other organisations and individuals to make maximum use of i-Tree study data and reports.

Together, we are working with the i-Tree Cooperative to develop full functionality of i-Tree Eco within the UK and facilitate its use and uptake by UK users.

The i-Tree Cooperative comprises the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Davey Tree Expert Company, International Society of Arboriculture, Society of Municipal Arborists, Arbor Day Foundation, and Casey Trees.

Status

The programme started in 2013 and is ongoing.