Digital forest inventory: New technologies for forestry in Mautern

Digital forest inventory: New technologies for forestry in Mautern

An exciting meeting took place at Wilden Berg in Mautern, where the Styrian agricultural and forestry companies brought together representatives from science and practice. The theme of the event? New digital techniques for forest inventory. In today's world, when digital advances such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming more and more widespread, forests are becoming increasingly important for the economy. Especially in view of the threatening extreme weather events caused by climate change, forestry companies need to collect reliable data about their forest resources.

The forest inventory is a central tool. This event not only served to exchange knowledge, but was also a networking event for participants from different institutions. At the beginning, current challenges in forestry were discussed. Heinrich Reuss and Karl Goritschnig, both of whom work directly in the estate administration, described how climate change is increasingly putting pressure on the forest. Goritschnig said: “The digital forest inventory could help us respond better to the challenges.”

Technologies in focus

A significant aspect of the discussion was laser-based data collection, which is not only important for creating digital “forest twins” but can also enable the collection of individual tree data. Christoph Gollob from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences highlighted the advantages of this technology. It speeds up the collection of data significantly. Nevertheless, high acquisition costs are a hurdle that is currently causing many companies to shy away.

“But we also see smaller solutions, such as the use of smartphones and tablets for simple laser scans, which make digital inventories easier to access,” added Gollob. The big challenge, it was emphasized, is to advance theoretical methods for practical use. Illustrations like this specialist excursion make a decisive contribution to connecting science and practice.

Biodiversity in forest management

Another important point that was raised is the consideration of biodiversity in forest inventory. Martin Steinkellner from the Federal Forest Research Center explained that factors such as the mix of tree species and the amount of dead wood should be recorded more closely. This information gathering is also becoming more urgent due to the growing public interest in the topic of forest biodiversity. “Automated data collection via digital means is still possible to a limited extent, but it is important,” says Steinkellner.

Rafaela Rothwangl from the Forest Office made it clear that targeted data collection is essential for forestry companies. “Data is only valuable if it is used in a targeted manner,” she emphasized. In fact, the goal of data collection is not just to collect numbers, but to generate insights that support forest management and maintenance. Operational goals are crucial here.

The final discussion reached a consensus that the need for monitoring depends largely on the specific goals of each forestry operation. The best data is worthless if it cannot be meaningfully interpreted and applied. Carl Prinz von Croy, chairman of the Styrian agricultural and forestry operations, emphasized that every forest owner should be well versed in his forest and that digital methods can be valuable support in this regard.

This excursion made it clear how essential cooperation between agriculture, science and forestry is. Existing challenges can only be mastered sustainably by taking a clear look at the connections.

At a time when the future of our forests is at stake, the exchange between the various players in the industry is more important than ever. The findings from the event will certainly have far-reaching implications for future forest management.