Sparta’s tree canopy is estimated at 33% (Table 21), which compares favorably to the reference Michigan communities. Impervious surfaces (buildings and roads) make up 27% of the land cover. Grass and low-lying vegetation comprises 35% of the community. The Village's borders have the greatest canopy cover, while the major neighborhoods and commercial areas have the greatest amount of impervious surfaces (Figure 16).
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The planting priority levels map (Figure 18) can be used to focus in on the locations in which plantings may deliver the highest impacts in terms of ecosystem benefits and overall benefits to the community. Sparta can use this as a guideline for deciding where future trees can be planted to have the greatest impact on benefits and stormwater runoff. Of the 538 plantable acres, 12% of those acres (65 acres) are listed as moderate or above planting priority. If only these areas are planted, Sparta’s canopy would increase from 514 acres to 579 acres, increasing the total canopy cover to 37%.
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NAIP imagery from 2005 and 2018 was analyzed using Remote Sensing capabilities to track the historical canopy changes within census blocks in the Village. The results from this analysis show that in the 13 year period, Sparta has gained 2% canopy overall (Table 24). Figure 20 shows how the canopy has changed in the city. In general, the canopy appears to have expanded across the Village with the largest consolidated gains located in the edges or forested areas.
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