Assessing the drivers of tree canopy loss on residential property in Vancouver, Canada
Marco Sanelli
Advisors:
Abstract
Community expectations are growing for management of The broad scale changes in tree canopy associated with cities undergoing densification have been well researched. However, the fine-scale relationships between development and individual trees on private property have received less attention. This study explores the drivers of tree canopy loss associated with redevelopment between 2013 and 2018 in the City of Vancouver, Canada. We analyzed a total of 782 trees on 245 residential properties (49 of which were not redeveloped). Each tree present in 2013 was assigned to either a retained or removed class. We used classification tree analysis with 6 land cover variables, and 2 spatial variables and one economic variable to identify which explanatory variables could best predict tree status.
The strongest predictor of tree removal was whether a property was redeveloped or not. Trees were 9.5 times more likely to be removed if they were on a redeveloped property. A tree that was shorter than 18m was twice as likely to be removed. Trees on parcels smaller than 605 m² with building footprints larger than 229 m² were also more likely to be removed. The findings illustrate some of the potential factors influencing tree removal and provide a rationale for stronger tree protection measures during residential property redevelopment.
Keywords
urban forest, canopy cover, urban planning, tree protection, remote sensing, urbanization