Assessing the Survivorship, Condition, and Growth of Trees Planted 2010-2014 in Worcester, Massachusetts

Over 17,000 trees were planted by Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in Worcester in response to the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) infestation in two phases between 2010 and 2014. During 2015 and 2016, the Clark University Human-Environment Regional Observatory conducted an inventory of over 1500 of the trees planted in the Burncoat and Greendale neighborhoods and reported those findings to the DCR. The first goal of this research is to revisit those cohorts of trees, and evaluate them for survivorship (alive, dead, or removed), condition (ranking 1-5 scale) and growth (diameter at breast height, tree crown width) over the 7-8 years since the trees were last surveyed. In order to better understand the impact of urban development on the tree cohort under investigation, the second goal of the project is to use remote sensing techniques to show change in land cover types (tree canopy cover, grass area cover, buildings, water, and impervious surface cover) from 2010 to 2023 with a specific focus in the context of proximity and overlap (if any) with the DCR tree cohort under investigation. This research will help DCR understand the most important ecological, biophysical, and anthropogenic factors that have influenced the Burncoat and Greendale tree cohort.