By Joy Crane

The 2025 Precision Forestry Symposium focused on the application of innovative technologies, open-source and specialised software, and artificial intelligence (AI) to plan, manage and monitor operations from nursery to logyard. 

The Department of Forest and Wood Products Science at Stellenbosch University, the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO), and the Southern African Institute of Forestry (SAIF) organised the symposium. 

The theme, Precision Forestry: At the Dawn of AI, attracted 85 participants from international and local organisations, academic institutions, and industry. Sappi, Mondi, York Timbers and eSwatini's Montigny Investments supported groups of participants. 

The week-long programme consisted of three parts: a workshop on the first day for PhD students and young researchers. The following day, the sensors, platforms, systems, and software suppliers described the latest technologies they offer and how they increase data collection and productivity.

The audience was intrigued by presentations from the platinum sponsor Remsoft and gold sponsors Timbeter, Juniper Systems, Microforest, Softree and Optron. The silver sponsor, Philip Boardman and his company Alternative Structures, hosted a stand and demonstrated their latest forest mensuration and related equipment. 

The week concluded with the three-day science symposium, where over 33 speakers shared research results contributing to precision forestry. 

Keynote highlights

Prof Ola Lindroos from SLU, a Swedish agricultural university, discussed the integration of AI and robotics into forest operations. He emphasised technological advancements in enhancing efficiency and sustainability within forestry practices. He underscored that AI could optimise various operational aspects, from management to harvesting, thereby improving productivity while ensuring environmental protection.

Mondi's geospatial professional, Miranda Wilson, spoke about the relationship between technological innovations and people. She stressed that while technology can provide valuable data and insights, successful implementation relies on ensuring that people at all levels in a company are equipped to accept, understand and apply the technologies. The shift to precision forestry demands skilled operators and managers familiar with the technologies, AI, and data analytics.

The director of the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking at SU, Prof Kanshukan Rajaratnam, addressed the role of big data in the agriculture sector. He said data analytics should drive decision-making processes, improve resource management, and enhance forestry operational efficiencies. He emphasised the necessity of harnessing large datasets to understand trends and challenges in forest ecosystems.

Extraordinary evolution

The last Precision Forestry Symposium was held in 2017 and provided a taste of what was to come. In the words of Prof Bruce Talbot, "Precision forestry has witnessed an extraordinary evolution over the past decade, fuelled by the advances in remote and proximal sensing technologies, as well as the transformative potential of AI".

The conference presenters were a multi-disciplinary mix of leading forestry researchers, postgraduates and industry partners. They described recent advancements involving advanced remote sensors, including LiDAR, UAVs, satellites, photogrammetry and ground-based systems, which collect high-resolution data on forest structure, biodiversity, health, and growth.

Big data

The question is what to do with the data. The challenge lies in transforming this data into actionable decisions rather than accumulating it for its own sake? How can it be used cost-effectively to monitor, manage, optimise, and improve the accuracy, efficiency, and understanding of operations?

The development of computer vision, AI and machine learning has created new opportunities for data analysis, pattern recognition, and decision-making. By using algorithms to interpret complex datasets, it is now possible to derive previously inaccessible insights. 

The speakers described the application of technologies to gather and apply data at granular, landscape and strategic levels. Their presentations included describing the development of a seedling quality index, fire management, predicting forest growth, identifying pests, pathogens and weed outbreaks, planning forest infrastructure, optimising harvesting strategies, log species classification and monitoring emissions from sawmills. 

Decision making

Pablo Asiron of the Canadian company Remsoft and Louis van Zyl of Mondi described Mondi's journey in using cloud-based data to create a model that generates strategic, tactical, and operational plans that account for the complexities of forest management, including capital investment and sustainability constraints. 

Pablo said, "These models are continuously refined with real-time data from forest operations, captured through cloud-connected platforms that track field operations in real-time. 

"The implementing phase focuses on executing these optimised plans in the field, creating a digital twin of both the planning and operational activities, ensuring precision in decision-making".

Pablo and Louis explained that the next step in this continuous cycle is the refining phase, which uses AI to "analyse historical and real-time data and provide actionable insights that enhance future planning models to increase efficiency, optimise wood supply chains, and reduce energy expenditure while ensuring sustainability". 

They said forest managers can achieve better economic and environmental outcomes by harnessing the power of optimisation, AI, and operational planning platforms. 

Forestry disrupted

In his keynote address, Ola Lindroos said technological disruptions are speeding up. It took 75 years for the telephone, 16 years for cell phones and two months for Chat GPT to reach 100 million users. 

"More data is not always beneficial. "Don't go for hype", he cautioned. "Balance what you need with the cost of resources, including power and time".

A take home message from the symposium is that human information management will transform to AI. The demand and need for research will inevitably increase and it is essential that global forestry researchers, practitioners, and industry stakeholders collaborate to harness technologies effectively.

Precision in forestry will continue evolving with autonomous AI execution providing real-time control over planning. We are not far from meeting robots in the forests.