Separate identity from display order
A tree number identifies a record. Its position in a sorted report is a separate concern. Renumbering every tree when the schedule is sorted by species or priority breaks references in earlier reports. Choose an ID that remains stable within the project, and decide whether site prefixes are needed when records from several properties will be combined.
A practical numbering example
For a project with two sites, SITE-A-T001 and SITE-B-T001 can distinguish the records even when both surveys start at one. Keep the site identifier in its own field as well. Agree the format before surveying, including how leading zeros are retained in spreadsheets. A spreadsheet may treat 001 as a number and display 1 unless the ID field is handled as text.
Handle additions and removals explicitly
- Give a newly surveyed tree a new unused ID.
- Record removal or absence as a status and visit observation; do not reuse its ID for another tree.
- Explain how records are handled when an earlier tree cannot be confidently relocated.
- Retain the relationship between historic IDs and corrected IDs when fixing a genuine error.
Do not quietly merge two uncertain records. Review the position, photographs, species and available history, then record the decision and who made it. This is especially important when two surveyors work in the same area.
Checks before a team handover
- Check for duplicate IDs within the agreed project scope.
- Confirm every mapped tree appears in the schedule.
- Confirm image captions use the same identifiers.
- Agree who allocates IDs for new records during later work.
- Document any translation from a previous asset register.
The numbering convention should travel with the project brief and exported schedule. A recipient should be able to match an observation in the report to a location and source record without guessing which version of the list was used.
Explore tree inventory workflows and download a blank field schedule for a consistent starting point.
For later visits, see repeat-inspection records and clear location descriptions.
Prepared by Canopy.