Species Selection Tool - SST
Climate-Based Tree Species Recommendation Tool
Species Selection Tool is an easy-to-use web application that helps forest managers, breeders, and researchers choose the right tree species for the right place, both now and in the future.
As climate conditions change, trees that grow well today may struggle tomorrow. SST supports better planning by using climate data and species information to recommend tree species that are most likely to survive, grow well, and remain productive under current and future climate conditions.
You do not need technical or programming skills to use this tool. The app is designed to make complex climate and environmental analysis accessible to everyone involved in forestry and land management.
SST Tool analyzes environmental conditions and ranks the best-suited species for your target area.
Don’t have climate data ready?
If you already have geographic coordinates, use our Data Extraction App to generate the required environmental variables automatically.
What Does SST Do?
It helps users answer important questions such as:
- Which tree species are best suited for my region?
- How might climate change affect species performance in the future?
- Are there alternative species that may perform better under warmer or drier conditions?
- How different parts of my region vary environmentally, and how species suitability changes across them
To do this, SST:
- Group areas with similar climate conditions into clear zones
- Compares your region with the natural environments where tree species grow
- Ranks tree species from most suitable to least suitable
Allows you to explore both current and future climate scenarios
The results help reduce risk and support long-term, climate-resilient forest planning.
How to Access and Use Species Selection Tool Efficiently
Step 1: Prepare Your Data
To get started, you need a simple data file (CSV format) that represents your target area.
Your file should include:
- Latitude and longitude of locations (in decimal degrees)
- Climate information for those locations (BIO1-BIO19)
A sample file is available in the application to help you format your data correctly.
Step 2: Upload Your Data
- Open the TreeSuit web app
- Upload your CSV file using the upload button
- Preview your data directly in the app to confirm everything looks correct
TreeSuit accepts files up to 30 MB, making it suitable for large study areas.
Step 3: Understand Your Environment
TreeSuit automatically:
- Group your area into environmental zones based on climate similarity
- Displays these zones on an interactive map
- Helps you see how different parts of your region vary environmentally
This step ensures that species recommendations are not “one-size-fits-all” but reflect real differences across the landscape.
Step 4: Explore Species Suitability
TreeSuit evaluates tree species using multiple complementary approaches and combines them into a clear suitability score between 0 and 1.
You will see:
- A ranked list of species, from most to least suitable
- Visual charts explaining why certain species perform better
- Maps showing where each species is more or less suitable
You can also choose which evaluation methods to include, depending on your decision needs.
Step 5: Look Into the Future
TreeSuit allows you to explore:
- Near-future climate conditions
- Long-term climate projections
This helps you identify species that are not only suitable today, but also likely to remain productive in the coming decades.
Step 6: Download Your Results
All results can be:
- Downloaded as files
- Saved together in a single ZIP folder
- Used in reports, presentations, or planning discussions
Why Use TreeSuit?
- Simple and visual: No coding or complex software required
- Science-based: Built using reliable climate and species data
- Flexible: Adaptable to different regions and planning goals
- Future-ready: Supports climate-resilient decision making
