Rapid assessment of tree debris following urban forest ice storms

Abstract

This paper presents a rapid assessment method to estimate urban tree debris following an ice storm. Data were collected from 60 communities to quantify tree debris volumes, mostly from public rights-of-way, following ice storms based on community infrastructure, weather parameters, and urban forest structure. Ice thickness, area of a community, and street distance are significant predictors for estimating debris from ice storms. Results from this study provide a way to estimate woody debris volumes from urban trees immediately following an ice storm. The model can also be used to predict debris volumes for storm preparedness planning. © 2011 International Society of Arboriculture.