BMP - Tree Inventories - 4

* Values are the quantitative or qualitative measures of an attribute.
Quantitative values are usually direct measurements with an instrument, such as when a diameter tape is used for the attribute " diameter
at breast height. " Qualitative measurements, by contrast, involve
somewhat arbitrary categories and individual judgment, such as for
the attribute " tree condition. "
In addition to tree data, inventories are typically accompanied by a report. The
report may be simple or complex. In general, there are two types of reports:
1. An inventory report, where the inventory data is separated into
categories-such as species or size classes-and data or assessments
are made of their quantity and quality. In its simplest form, the report
is comprised of a series of lists, charts, tables, or maps from which
the user can retrieve summary information.
2. A management plan is a more sophisticated report in which the
implications of the data analysis are laid out in detail, in addition
to the summary of
the inventory data.
Implications include
projections of future
planting and maintenance needs, budget
needs, or environmental impact of actions or
lack of action.
Historically, inventory
media included index cards,
ledger books, and paper maps,
which made data searching,
manipulation, and analysis
difficult. Almost all inventories are now digital databases,
greatly facilitating these tasks.
Similarly, field data collection
is now commonly carried out
on mobile electronic devices.

Figure 1. A data collector using a mobile device
to record tree location on a geo-rectified map. The
collector also gathers information about species,
diameter, and other attributes.

BMP - Tree Inventories

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BMP - Tree Inventories