Tree mapping recommendations.

[Paulie]

Hi all.

I am getting prepared for starting tree surveys as I sit my PTI next month. 

I have a large survey coming up incorporating over 175 acres.

I was wondering which maps people use to plot out new trees and plantations?

Google maps/earth seems pretty limited and poor quality for larger areas and OS is eye-wateringly expensive for the map I need.  

Does anybody have any recommendations as to what they use? and prices too?

Let me know.

 

Many thanks.

Paul.

 

[Steven P]

Have you looked at the 3rd party mapping sites - I've used emapsite and 1km squares are less than £20 last time I looked. I think they have the tree survey mapping too

[daltontrees]

Depends what software you are using. OS Vectormap in CAD is dirt cheap but lacks fine detail, I have used it for large rural estates. Mastermap usually out of the question for anything big.

[Paulie]

Emapsite works great thanks for the recommendation! but what about mapping trees on to the map image? I've tried CAD but cant get my head round it. Its a bit to complicated for me. Is there another way?

[Steven P]

I've never put tree surveys onto plans, how are you going to be recording the info? GPS locations through to printed plans and a sharpie?

[daltontrees]

12 hours ago, Paulie said:

Emapsite works great thanks for the recommendation! but what about mapping trees on to the map image? I've tried CAD but cant get my head round it. Its a bit to complicated for me. Is there another way?

If you pass your PTI you might be in a for a bit of a shock when you start doing surveys, its a bit like passing your driving test then getting into a car on your own and straight onto a busy motorway.

 

The question is what are you doing surveys for? If it is risk surveys then alll you fundamentally need is a dot to show where the tree is and maybe  a splodge to show where groups are. Millions of chap ways of doing that. If you're doing development surveys , anything short of CAD mappig with accurate protrayal of posiiton, 4 way crown spread and root protecton areas will be worse than useless. For a start, the client will usually send you a CAD site plan to use and to add your data to.

 

There is an interpla between how cheap your maps are, how good they are, how easy to use in the field, how easy in teh office, and how helpful they are to clients. You coud steal OS mapping from the internet, print it out, take it on a clipboard and mark trees with a pen. At the other end of the spectrum you can buy or use CAD OS or topo survey drawings, put them on a GPS device, plot accurately in the field with facilites to record heights diameters etc, take these to office and download and present in reports and export modified CAD to client. The latter is best and most expensive but also most effcient and most useful to client, but the initial set-up costs only pay dividends after several uses. I use PT Mapper, QCAD and Pocket GIS and I am probably at the equivalent of £1 a report by now. 

[richyrich]

I use software from Otiss/Pear Technology. It's about £360/year. 

Helpful support staff. I would do some practice surveys first and get the hang of using it. There are a lot of options re what you record. Then there is the facility to download as pdf files or Excel. I find the Excel a bit of a pain as not too familiar with setting out.

Also with such a large acreage, you will have to see what sizes to divide the site up for your online maps.

It's a very big site for beginning out on, so definitely do a few practices in a park or small woodland.