Heritage Tree Expert Assessment and Classification: Malaysian Perspective

Authors: B.-Y.-S. Lau, Y.-C.-T. Jonathan, M.-S. Alias

Abstract:

Heritage trees are natural large, individual trees with exceptionally value due to association with age or event or distinguished people. In Malaysia, there is an abundance of tropical heritage trees throughout the country. It is essential to set up a repository of heritage trees to prevent valuable trees from being cut down. In this cross domain study, a web-based online expert system namely the Heritage Tree Expert Assessment and Classification (HTEAC) is developed and deployed for public to nominate potential heritage trees. Based on the nomination, tree care experts or arborists would evaluate and verify the nominated trees as heritage trees. The expert system automatically rates the approved heritage trees according to pre-defined grades via Delphi technique. Features and usability test of the expert system are presented. Preliminary result is promising for the system to be used as a full scale public system.

Keywords: Arboriculture, Delphi, expert system, heritage tree, urban forestry.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1132094

References:

[1] P. A. Coates, American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers on the Land. University of California Press, 2006, pp. 140–142.
[2] S.-H. Liao, “Expert system methodologies and applications—a decade review from 1995 to 2004,” Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 28, pp. 93-103, 2005.
[3] E. Turban and J. E. Aronson, Decision Support Systems And Intelligent Systems, Upper Saddle River, New Yersey: Prentice Hall, 2005, ch. 3.
[4] F. R. McFadden, J. A. Hoffer, and M. B. Prescott, Modern database management (5th ed). New York: Prentice-Hall, 2000, ch. 1.
[5] K.C. Laudon and J. P. Laudon, Management Information Systems, 8th Edition, Pearson, 2004,
[6] J. Barrell, TreeAH (Tree Assessment For Heritage Status), 2011 (accessed from http://www.treeaz.com/tree_ah/ on 13 April 2016).