About the Project
The Project
This project was started by the SAS Ecology class at Sequoyah High School in Spring 2022. The mission has been to discover and spread information and awareness about trees and carbon sequestration. To do this we have identified and measured each tree on campus. This has allowed us to approximate the carbon sequestered as well as put tags on all of the trees displaying our findings to the community.
Our methods
Each tree has been identified using the Seek app by iNaturalist. With each tree identified, we were able to find out the allometric coefficients as well as if the trees were hardwood or softwood. The basic equations for calculating carbon sequestration are as follows:
Biomass (M) = aD^b (a and b are the allometric coefficients*) (D is diameter)
Carbon Mass in kg (C) = M* (.498 for softwood or .521 for hardwood)
Carbon Dioxide Mass in kg = C*3.67
Allometric Coefficients
Allometric Coefficients are particular numbers (Different for every species) that approximate the amount of mass that each tree species holds using data on the average growth patterns (height, width, density, etc.) for that particular tree.
We have sourced our allometric coefficients from a number of sources including: USDA Urban Tree Coefficients, Mediterranean Shrubland Coefficients, North American Urban Tree Coefficients
We were unable to find allometric coefficients for some of the tree species and thus we used our best judgment to find other trees of similar growth patterns and used those coefficients.
Our Data Creations
In this process we created a map as well as a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet has all the data as well as other pieces of information.
We also created a map, it shows all the trees by region. Each tree is given a unique ID# which correlates to the zone(a letter) and 1-2 numbers.
Finally, there is a graph below that shows the carbon hold of each tree given its diameter. The trees are separated by the type of tree.
If you would like to continue some work on this project or add anything to it please contact kschafer@sequoyahschool.org.
NUUC/Sequoyah School Tree Map
