Compass TreeSurveyor

Compass TreeSurveyor is a mobile data capture solution (based on Esri ArcPad) that facilitates the assessment of individual trees but also treescapes – capturing tree management information but also an assessment of the overall context of trees and their impact on urban treescapes in particular. The field recorded data is brought into a desktop or web mapping system of a users choice and is accessible from there in a user accessible format.

The software runs on mobile GPS devices such as those provided by Compass and is based on the popular and well used Esri ArcPad software.  This software can be used for many other purposes apart from tree surveys and supports many other field data capture efforts.  Photography, videography and other data can be captured and tagged within the GPS-enabled software also.

The data recorded by Compass TreeSurveyor ingllows the British Standard but also takes elements from other approaches and integrates these based on the experience in applying the methodology to urban trees in the Dublin area, Ireland. The methodology now allows the survey of urban trees in a highly efficient manner with a survey taking a few minutes per tree and a few minutes for the overall tree/streetscape assessment. Pre field assessment can be made using office based tools to estimate tree counts, and tree canopy diameters, allowing field surveys to then be targeted as required while generating overall statistics for large areas.

To date thousands of trees have been surveyed using this methodology; a number of arborists have utilised the system; and a number of projects have been undertaken and have delivered data to tree managers, urban planners, heritage and conservation staff, and other users.

Habitat mapping

In addition to tree assessment tools, Compass provide services for habitat mapping. These methodologies combine desk based assessments using aerial imagery and digital mapping, with field methods where suitably qualified ecologists assess and map habitats and record these in a manner that allows ready integration after fieldwork.  Surveyors also record data and locations of other elements such as connectivity in the natural landscape which feeds into Green Infrastructure and other approaches.

Surveys have been condiucted by Compass in urban, rural agricultural, and rural 'wild' landscapes, and methodologies to support ecologists in those environments have been developed.

Our field datacpature skills have also been applied to street furniture, cycle lane, road environment, disabled facilities, and other surveys.