Lumberjacks versus AI – who knows the forests better?

Managing forests is not simple, trees after trees reaching so far where the eye can’t see. Questions must be answered such as how trees are growing, how the volume of timber is determined and how forests are changing. What if someone has illegally logged somewhere? Collecting this information can take a lot of time and may at times even be impossible.

As Birgit Aru-Vähi, Sustainability Manager and Product Lead at Timbeter, notes: “I used to be a negotiator at COP meetings on behalf of the European Union, so I’ve seen quite a bit of what goes on behind the scenes, and over the years, the focus has clearly shifted from making promises to proving that countries are actually following through on their commitments.” This is precisely what Estonian forest start-up companies, Timbeter and Kappazeta, are doing – mapping forests and measuring timber to make sure whether forests are managed properly.

Kappazeta uses satellite data to monitor forests, Timbeter has developed a tool for measuring timber with a smartphone, is developing a new device for measuring standing trees, and the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) has collaborated with companies to test how these technologies can be used in practice.

Although their work is different, they all have the same goal: to collect more accurate information and make forest management more efficient.

Timber and smartphones

Timbeter approaches the problem from a unique angle. The company has developed a tool that uses photographs and artificial intelligence to measure timber. Its representative, Birgit Aru-Vähi, explained how the technology can make a process that has traditionally relied on manual work more accurate.

Measuring timber has often involved visual estimates and manual measurements. This can take time, and the results are not always precise. According to the information shared by Timbeter, traditional estimates can have an error of around 10–20 per cent. The company has reduced this to around 6 per cent with its existing product.

The process is simple, a person just takes a photograph of a stack of timber with a smartphone, the Timbeter app detects each log, measures its diameter and calculates the

volume of the stack. The company has trained its system using around two million photographs. The results go straight to Timbeter’s cloud software, where they can be viewed and shared from anywhere. But why is this necessary?

This saves time and makes measurements more consistent. Timbeter also includes digital records that show information such as the time and location of the measurement, which makes the data easier to check later for different organisations to monitor. Verifiable data is becoming more important across the sector, as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires timber placed on the EU market to be traceable to the plot where it was harvested.

Timbeter is now taking this approach into the forest. Its new product in development, Timbeter Forest, uses a stereo camera device to measure standing trees, giving tree diameter, density and timber volume. These ground measurements can also help calibrate what satellites see from above.

Forests from space

Measuring every forest is impossible, but measuring them from above is not. That’s the focus of Kappazeta, where Meelis Seedre is head of forestry and carbon markets. The company uses a multitude of satellite data, so it can see what is happening across far larger areas than anyone could visit, or survey by planes. They began by farmland monitoring and then moved on to forests and now develops its own forest radar satellite mission.

To make sense of satellite images, Kappazeta develops machine-learning models that estimate forest characteristics such as tree height, timber volume and biomass. The company has also built a service that detects clear-cut areas monthly from satellite data.

This makes forest monitoring faster and helps spot changes that might otherwise go unnoticed, such as felling in remote places. It also gives information about forests that are hard to reach on the ground.

To develop and train its models, Kappazeta has worked with RMK, which shared information about its logging activities. Comparing the satellite results with data collected on the ground shows researchers how accurate the models are.

Testing technology in real forests

New technology is only useful if it works outside the laboratory. This is where RMK has an important role.

RMK manages the majority of Estonia’s state forests and cooperates with companies developing forestry technology. Ulvar Kaubi, Innovation Project Manager at RMK, spoke about the importance of testing new solutions.

RMK has worked with both Kappazeta and Timbeter. For a technology company, cooperation with an organisation that manages forests can provide valuable data and an opportunity to test whether a new tool works as expected. For RMK, it offers a chance to see whether these tools could make everyday work easier.

Various technologies are being tested. For instance drones and LiDAR, which uses laser pulses to measure distances and create detailed information about the ground surface and objects on it. A pilot project is currently underway to demonstrate the feasibility of using drone surveying and a software solution currently under development for the construction of forest roads. It can help collect data about infrastructure. Such methods may reduce the need for some time-consuming manual measurements in the field.

There is no single technology that can do everything. Different tools provide different types of information. For instance, Kappazeta may be useful where satellite data is readily available, Timbeter where there is not too much satellite information. Cooperation between technology companies and forest managers helps show where these solutions are useful.

Forests and climate change

Forests play a role in climate change – they help regulate climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, storing carbon, etc. Satellite data can be used to monitor changes in forest cover over time. Similar methods can also help observe areas where wetlands have been restored. RMK has restored around 32,000 hectares of wetlands. Monitoring these areas can help assess how they are changing.

Estonia has a relatively small but active forestry technology sector. Companies and public organisations can work together to develop and test new ideas. This can be extended beyond Estonia as well. The examples of Kappazeta, Timbeter and RMK show how digital tools are changing the way forests are monitored and timber measurement is modernized.

This article is written by Annette Maria Hermaküla. This article was funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Estonian Research Council.

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