{"id":4372,"date":"2025-03-10T11:05:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T11:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/?p=4372"},"modified":"2025-03-10T11:05:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T11:05:32","slug":"how-i-identified-and-mapped-1000-trees-in-the-fallowfield-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/bmh-sr\/2025\/03\/10\/how-i-identified-and-mapped-1000-trees-in-the-fallowfield-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"How I identified and mapped 1000+ trees in the Fallowfield Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner locked=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”3.0.106″ title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”above” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_layout=”light” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Blog by Athena Lam, final-year undergraduate student in Biology\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you look closely at a satellite image of the Fallowfield Campus, you may spot a small rectangular plot, sandwiched between Richmond Park and Uttley House. This is the <\/span>Firs Botanical Grounds<\/span><\/a>, home to the University\u2019s environmental research station, greenhouse laboratories, living plant collection and air quality research laboratory.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unless you are a student, staff member, or a resident of the Fallowfield Campus, you may well complete your university career without knowing the existence of this place. I, however, found myself well-acquainted with the site through an eight-week <\/span>Student Experience Internship (SEI)<\/span><\/a>, and I am excited to share the insights I have gained. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About my internship\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The main goal of my SEI, \u201cSurveying the Green Spaces of Fallowfield,\u201d was to complete a <\/span>Phase 1 Habitat Survey<\/span><\/a>. For context, Phase 1 Habitat Surveys are a tool used by ecologists to assess the ecological value of a site by categorising areas into different habitats, often providing additional information on their biodiversity and condition for a specific purpose. In my case, I was laying the basic groundwork and providing recommendations for the University\u2019s plan of developing a public Botanical Gardens in Fallowfield.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering the extensive process of surveying \u2014 from desk research to field work, mapping and report write-up \u2014 and the decent size of the campus (around 70 acres), this SEI was no easy feat. Fortunately for me, I had prior experience from my field course research skills module (RSM) \u2014 BIOL20872 Urban Biodiversity and Conservation which provided me with foundational surveying skills.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Day-to-day for the first week, I spent most of my time researching inside the mess room. This allowed me to learn about the history of the campus, study ordinance survey maps, and identify the green areas between residential buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo

Photo of the basic tools I used for field work and species identification.<\/p><\/div>\n

In<\/span> Weeks 3 \u2013 6, I <\/span>carried out <\/span>field work and <\/span>creat<\/span>ed<\/span> a Phase 1 Habitat Survey map of the site, a <\/span>major<\/span> output of the<\/span> internship<\/span>.<\/span> M<\/span>ost<\/span> days, <\/span>while out on site <\/span>I <\/span>map<\/span>ped<\/span> templates<\/span> by<\/span> zoom<\/span>ing<\/span> in<\/span>to <\/span>different parts<\/span> of the campus<\/span>,<\/span> jotting<\/span> down <\/span>the species, <\/span>l<\/span>andscape<\/span> and condition of each area<\/span> to <\/span>help me decide on the most suitable habitat categorisation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While it is possible to do <\/span>the survey<\/span> by hand <\/span>(<\/span>different colours<\/span> and patterns for each habitat), <\/span>I decided to do <\/span>use a<\/span> modern<\/span> technique<\/span>: <\/span><\/span>Geographic <\/span>Information System (GIS)<\/span><\/span><\/a> software, ArcGIS Pro. <\/span>I<\/span> reviewed YouTube<\/span> tutorials and<\/span> conducted<\/span> trial-and-error <\/span>tests <\/span>to figure out how to use it<\/span> –<\/span>I am still far from being a<\/span>n<\/span> expert, but the experience was hugely rewarding. Not only was I able to create a <\/span>high-quality digital map with metadata and <\/span>additional<\/span> features that are impossible to achieve with pen and paper, <\/span>but I also gained invaluable practical skills that <\/span>I <\/span>can use<\/span> to enhance my CV.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Phase

Phase 1 Habitat Survey Map of Fallowfield Campus. Created using ArcGIS Pro.<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u00a0used the last two weeks of my internship to write up the report and finalise my tree trail design \u2014 more on that in the next section. In addition to the subject specific tasks provided by the internship, being on the Firs Botanical Grounds also offered plenty of other wellbeing and social opportunities. There is the option to help around the Firs Botanical Grounds in different ways, including watering the plants and feeding the fish, which was a great chance to take a mental break from work. Not to mention, there were two other student interns working on the site at the same time, allowing us to collaborate and share ideas while making new friends.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tree identification and tree trail design\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

My SEI was largely self-guided, supported by supervisor <\/span>Professor Giles Johnson<\/span><\/a> and overlooked by <\/span>Oliver Hughes<\/span><\/a>, Firs Botanical Grounds site manager.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo

Photo of a horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) in Uttley House, showcasing its broad canopy. This is one of the trees of the tree trail.<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition to the habitat survey, I was also tasked with creating a tree trail to add to the Firs Botanical Grounds web app developed by Giles. I was allowed a huge degree of creative freedom for this task, which was both exciting and slightly daunting at the same time!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With this project in mind, I identified and mapped each individual tree around the Fallowfield Campus while completing the habitat survey. This became a formidable challenge, and while I cannot confidently say that I accurately identified every tree or mapped them to the precise coordinate I gave it my best shot. With a combination of field guides, help from Oliver and the horticultural technician Osian, satellite images and mobile GPS tools I marked down a total of 1408 trees, evidenced by individual dots on my final Phase 1 Habitat Survey map.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I was identifying trees and noting their locations, I was constantly brainstorming about the tree trail. Eventually, I had decided on the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n