Flexible, open-source programmes and estimating projections of urban tree benefits: A case study in Amherst, MA

Abstract

Inventories of urban tree populations and affiliated analysis software are valuable, contemporary tools in use by municipalities across the globe. While software that allows users to explore the values and benefits of discrete urban tree populations may be readily available, capacity to model and project tree growth is limited. Using existing urban street tree inventory data from Amherst, MA (USA), a generic platform for tree growth modelling was developed to be implemented by the user at the source code level, called “Xylem”. Agile programmes like this provide a fast-working, extensible platform to generate tree growth projection data that can be delivered efficiently to the end user. The Amherst case study offers an example of how programmes written in Python 2.7 have application and can be readily customisable, to add value to existing tree inventory data.