www.urban-forestry.com 25
Trees can be viewed in Google Street View.
unlimited users without additional licensing costs,
and we sought the ability to update from the field
in real time and across all interfaces. Lastly, we were
hoping for a system that could quantify the benefits
that our urban forest provides to the community.
After reviewing the inventory software systems avail-
able, we chose Plan-It Geo's Tree Plotter application.
The software's simplicity, accuracy, and range of
features has proved incredibly useful to our forest-
ry, grounds, and administrative departments. Our
inventory allows us to not only record the location
of trees but also the species, DBH, condition, main-
tenance needs, and any present defects. With this
information, we can determine tree quality, density,
diversity, potential planting sites, and monetary
and systemic benefits. Perhaps the most immediate
benefit of the inventory is being able to determine
which trees require priority attention, which will
require maintenance in the near future, and which
need to be monitored long-term to provide a safe
environment for the Zoo staff, visitors, and animals.
Being able to use inventory software on a tablet,
smartphone, or computer makes it highly mobile.
It gives us the ability to determine and commu-
