Using data from a 1971 research study, the Street Tree Evaluation Project (STEP) examines how selected urban plantings performed over several decades. The purpose is not only to aid in selecting trees that are most satisfactory under varying conditions, but also to show over time how trees affect street character. This document helps fulfill a project initiated by some of Ohio's earliest urban forestry practitioners.
Three decades ago, Dr. L. C. Chadwick of The Ohio State University and Mr. M. W. (Bif) Staples of the Davey Tree Expert Company had an idea. They wanted a comprehensive study of new tree introductions to decide their suitability for urban environments. Chadwick and Staples proposed a 10-year evaluation study involving the planting of tree species and cultivars at the Ohio Agricultural and Research Development Center (OARDC). This became the Wooster Shade Tree Evaluation Plots. The evaluation of existing street trees in five Ohio cities-Cincinnati, greater Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Wooster-was another facet of the original study. Comments and growth measurements were taken between 1967 and 1970 of the city street tree plantings. Data was compiled by Dr. Kenneth Reisch and published in the OARDC bulletin entitled Case Histories of Several Tree Species and Cultivars at Selected Sites in Five Ohio Cities.
The 1971 Reisch document reported on 53 selected species and cultivars planted in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Each site consisted of five trees with data on tree height, trunk caliper and branch spread recorded between 1967 and 1970, except the Columbus sites added in 1969. The researchers included the location (city, street and address) and a photographic record of each site.
This 27-year-old document, with its accompanying photographs produced by Dr. Reisch and Project Chairperson Richard Abbott, is a treasure of information for city foresters, nursery managers, landscape architects, city planners, tree commissions and community administrators. This document not only evaluates the growth of trees planted in the rights-of-way, but it identifies the location for future observations.
The intention of this current project is to update the tree measurements and photographs published in 1971 to aid in future urban forest management decisions. A quarter century's worth of changes can be highly instructive.
Tree height, caliper, spread and planting site dimensions were recorded at each of the 89 revisited sites. Because an accurate comparison of the "then" versus "now" plantings was a major consideration, the STEP document format is quite similar to its 1971 counterpart. As in the original document, comments are included. The pages are arranged in the same order as the 1971 publication (alphabetically by scientific name) and all of the 1971 statistics and comments are included with the 1997 data. The "then" photographs were taken between 1967 and 1970, while the "now" photos were taken in 1997 unless otherwise noted.
The original 1967 evaluations were based on five trees per site using the center tree as the address reference point. The five trees were the original planting subset on which data was taken. The 1967-70 figures are the average of the five trees in the original subset or of those remaining. Not all of the original trees in the data subset lived to 1997. Data is generally based on four trees unless all five trees in the original subset survived. Rarely was the original street tree planting limited to just the five trees of the original data subset. Therefore, if less than four trees in the original data subset remained, measurements from adjacent trees in similar circumstances were taken to give a more accurate statistical representation of that planting. Sometimes, data had to be taken on one, two or three trees since that was all that remained or the original trees were in different circumstances than the remaining trees. The number of trees represented in the 1997 data is given in the 1997 comments.
The number of trees that survived from the original planting was also considered. To arrive at a meaningful percentage, the number of trees remaining in a planting site was divided by the estimated number of trees in the original planting. City representatives (foresters) were often helpful in estimating the size of the original planting. Although estimating the survival percentages was difficult, these figures will be useful for future planning.
The authors of this publication thank those individuals and groups who made this effort possible and enjoyable. Initially, we want to recognize the early visionaries for addressing a need with their 1971 publication. The urban forestry community should all be grateful to Mr. Richard Abbott and to the Ohio investor-owned utilities who funded the original idea from 1965 to 1977.
Collecting the 1997 data was infinitely more enjoyable with the help of several city foresters. Thanks go out to Jennifer Gulick and her staff of Cincinnati, to Barry Weber of Columbus and to Pat O'Brien of Toledo. We also want to thank the state urban foresters who helped in data collection, namely Barb Fair, Cathy Smith, Alan Bunker and Lola Lewis.
Much energy was expended to retype and edit the 1971 document into a new format. For this we thank Mary Murnieks and Pat Polczynski of The School of Natural Resources-Pat for typing and Mary for typing and many hours of editing. Thanks also to Jboodka Pitts, a summer urban forestry intern from Southern University of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for his help.
Of course, this project was not without cost. We are collectively appreciative to the USDA Forest Service for providing the funding necessary to bring forth this information.
Following the distribution, review and discussion of this information, a decision will be made about when and how this research should continue. If you have comments or opinions, please contact one of the authors.