Drones and AI: Amberg is revolutionizing forest inventory!

Drones and AI: Amberg is revolutionizing forest inventory!

Things are getting exciting in Amberg because the city relies on modern technology to check and analyze its forests. Forestry expert Stefan Esser has been examining the municipal forest since the beginning of March. Around 1,000 measuring points were defined in order to comprehensively record the health data of the forest. However, this method, called terrestrial, is not the only one used. Expert Hans-Joachim Klemmt from the Bavarian State Institute for Forestry and Forestry and his team also use drones to collect data.

As br.de reports, the use of drones is supplemented by artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies enable faster, cheaper and more accurate analysis of forest health than traditional methods. The laser scanner drone uses infrared flashes to capture data through the tree canopy. This innovation allows three-dimensional information to be generated, while AI analysis supports the identification of tree species, height measurement and diameter determination.

Focus on speed and precision

Gone are the days when forest inventories had to be carried out every 20 years. Climate change means that shorter adaptation intervals are necessary. In this context, the aerial images, which offer an accuracy of 2.5 to 3 centimeters, are a real advantage. After storms or beetle infestations, the drones can be used quickly to check the condition of the forest.

The city of Amberg, which with 2,200 hectares is the largest municipal forest owner in the Upper Palatinate, is not alone in this pilot project. The technologies are also seeking international attention, as the Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf) show. They also rely on innovative technologies to collect forest data, especially in areas that are difficult to access. A three-year research initiative with the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Federal Research Center for Forests (BFW) and BOKU aims to provide rapid and accurate data analyzes on forest health, such as bundesforste.at reports.

Forest inventory of the future

In Austria, LiDAR technology is used to record the 3D structure of forests on over 5,000 hectares of ÖBf areas. Forest data such as tree diameter, height and the proportion of dead wood are also recorded there, and self-learning algorithms create digital twins of the forest. The goal is clear: to collect information about the protective effect of forests and to enable rapid damage assessment after extreme weather events. The importance of intact forests, especially as protection against natural hazards such as avalanches and rockfalls, becomes even clearer through such measures.

The various initiatives in Bavaria and Austria show that a modern and digital forest inventory process for forestry practice is within reach. The know-how from many years of experience at BOKU and the innovative approaches of the Bavarian State Institute lead to a profitable exchange that benefits the forest management of today and tomorrow - there is really something to be said!