Identification of priority planting locations for trees within Baltimore City

Priority Planting locations by block group for Baltimore City using the index developed by Nowak et al. (unpublished) of the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Experiment Station. The criteria used to make the index were: - Population density: the greater the population density, the greater the priority for tree planting - Tree stocking levels: the lower the tree stocking level (the percent of available greenspace (tree, grass, and soil cover areas) that is occupied by tree canopies), the greater the priority for tree planting - Tree cover per capita: the lower the amount of tree canopy cover per capita (m2/capita), the greater the priority for tree planting Each criteria was standardized on a scale of 0 to 1 with 1 representing the census block with the highest value in relation to priority of tree planting (i.e., the census block with highest population density, lowest stocking density or lowest tree cover per capita were standardized to a rating of 1). Individual scores were combined based on the following formula to produce an overall priority index value between 0 and 100: I = (PD * 40) + (TS * 30) + (TPC * 30) Where I = index value, PD is standardized population density, TS is standardized tree stocking, and TPC is standardized tree cover per capita. Based on this index, Planting priority maps were produced. Standardized value for population density was calculated as PD = (PD_n - PD_m) / PD_r, where PD is the value (0-1), PD_n is the value for the census block (population / km2), PD_m is the minimum value for all census blocks, and PD_r is the range of values among all census blocks (maximum value - minimum value). Standardized value for tree stocking was calculated as TS = (100 - ((T/(T+G)) * 100)) / 100, where TS is the value (0-1), T is percent tree cover, and G is percent grass cover. Standardized value for tree cover per capita was calculated as TPC = 1 - [(TPC_n - TPC_m) / TPC_r], where TPC is the value (0-1), TPC_n is the value for the census block (m2/capita), TPC_m is the minimum value for all census blocks, and TPC_r is the range of values among all census blocks (maximum value - minimum value).