The CIty of Columbus manages 127,000 trees
The City of Columbus maintains an inventory of all public trees, including street and parks trees. This information is collected by physically visiting each tree on public land and collecting multiple data on that tree and is stored and regularly updated in a GIS-based tree management software.
In 1996, the City of Columbus completed an inventory of the city-managed street trees. Since then, the inventory has been updated to reflect trees planted and removed. However, other information, like tree size, condition and maintenance needs, has rarely been updated. An inventory of park trees was completed in 2015. Of the 127,000 plus trees in the inventory, only about 10% have been updated within the last five years. Due to the data accuracy issues, the tree inventory analysis conducted for this project should be viewed as a snapshot in time, providing a general picture of the state of Columbus' trees. To gain a more comprehensive and accurate assessment, a new street and park tree inventory will need to be completed.
In 1996, the City of Columbus completed an inventory of the city-managed street trees. Since then, the inventory has been updated to reflect trees planted and removed. However, other information, like tree size, condition and maintenance needs, has rarely been updated. An inventory of park trees was completed in 2015. Of the 127,000 plus trees in the inventory, only about 10% have been updated within the last five years. Due to the data accuracy issues, the tree inventory analysis conducted for this project should be viewed as a snapshot in time, providing a general picture of the state of Columbus' trees. To gain a more comprehensive and accurate assessment, a new street and park tree inventory will need to be completed.
Diversity and Pest Vulnerability
Industry best practice often cites the 10/20/30 Rule for tree population diversity:
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Plant no more than 10% of any species, 20% of any genus, and 30% of any family.
Diversity has a significant impact on pest vulnerability. In the event Columbus would experience an infestation of new pests, the impact on the total population will be lessened with a diverse tree population. Note here that when looking at the Genus group, maples exceed the recommended 20% threshold, representing 29% of all public trees in Columbus. 
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size of Columbus' trees
Does the size of the tree matter?
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Columbus' tress are generally small, with 62% being only 0"-8" in diameter. The ideal distribution for trees of this size is 40%.
Larger trees provide more community services, as they intercept more stormwater, sequester more carbon, and remove more air pollution. For example, a large healthy tree (over 30" in trunk diameter, or DBH) can remove 70 times more air pollution in one year than a small healthy tree (under 3" trunk diameter, or DBH). As such, ensuring our young trees make it to maturity, as well as preserving our large trees should be a high priority when possible. |
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