Understanding the limitations of any tool is as important as understanding its strengths. In this lesson, we’ll clarify what the WEA Tree Carbon Tool is not designed to do. This tool works best at the ecosystem or plot level, using sampling strategies to provide collective estimates rather than tracking individual trees. It does not measure the carbon stored by a single tree or track sapling survival rates. This is intentional—our focus is on collective ecological trends that inform restoration at scale, not individual monitoring. This clarity will help you choose the right tools for your goals and avoid misinterpretation of your data.

Learning Goals:

• Understand why the Tree Carbon Tool does not track individual tree data.
• Learn the difference between plot-level sampling and individual tree monitoring.
• Clarify which metrics this tool excludes so you can supplement with other tools when needed.
• Prevent misapplication of the tool’s purpose in reporting or impact claims.