Abstract

Emerald Ash Borer - Managing a Forestry Crisis with GIS
Track: Forestry
Authors: Stephen Lane

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is destroying Midwest urban forests to the tune of hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. This pest turns parkway and open space trees into public hazards and liabilities. We are using ArcGIS to gather data about trees within communities in Illinois. We are using ArcPad to create custom shapefiles which we use to collect data. Once that data is brought back into the GIS environment, we use buffering, advanced selection techniques, and geospatial analysis to determine what strategy should be pursued to combat EAB, and create cost benefit analyses. We also use data layers such as USGS soils data, impervious surface, and FEMA floodplain to determine what species we will reforest these communities with after EAB has taken its toll. The new view in urban forestry of trees as infrastructure, and the importance of tree diversity in reforestation planning have made ArcGIS an invaluable tool.