An i-Tree Primer

They are scientifically based ways to have a better overall understanding of the trees in any area of interest and to quantify their environmental contributions. 

Many of our readers will be familiar with the i-Tree tools. They are being used in thousands of American cities of all sizes and even internationally. However, there are many who have not heard of these amazing aids to urban forest management or have only a vague acquaintance with them. In this issue, we summarize some of the tools and their applications. 

The i-Tree software tools were first released for public use in 2006. There were four initially available tools that followed more than a decade of research and development. The effort was led primarily by Dr. David J. Nowak of the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station, in cooperation with staff at The Davey Tree Expert Company. Through the years, an i-Tree development team of urban foresters, academicians, and other collaborators have contributed to testing, improving, and expanding the tools. Today there are 13 i-Tree tools available, and all are free to anyone who wants to use them. 

The purpose of this amazing program is to aid and improve urban forest management by providing peer-reviewed, scientific methods for quantifying our urban trees and the environmental services they provide. The tools not only can help guide decisions about planting and best management, they provide a powerful way to illustrate the benefits of urban trees and gain public understanding and support.