Forest Harvesting and Forest Product Supply Chain

Dear Colleagues,

Forest biomass and carbon are key elements in the development of climate change mitigation strategies. Internationally forest biomass is considered to be a valuable renewable energy feedstock. However, utilization of forest biomass is challenging because they are highly varied, generally of low quality and usually widely distributed across timber harvesting sites. In recent years, sensing technologies for monitoring forest resources including forest residue, and assessing environmental impacts associated with forest biomass utilization have been rapidly developing in the fields of forest management and harvesting operation. The use of sensors and ICT techniques has changed the management paradigm in forest industry, it can be used in all phases of forest activity such as planning, harvesting, and monitoring process. Taking advantage of state-of-the-art sensing technologies, forest information regarding the individual trees, forest biomass estimation, stand-level attributes and structures, and landscape-level can be measured or monitored through UAV, sensors, and laser scanning systems with high-resolution optical images and Lidar data. The precise level of data collection and analysis enables the forest managers/owners to make decisions for site-specific management. Additionally, automation, unmanned devices, remote control, artificial vision, and machine-to-machine communication are examples of these new approaches to forest operation management. The purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight the significance and contribution of sensing technologies in forest management and harvesting operation. It will focus on theoretical and experimental studies including individual or integrated devices and machinery, sensors, and technologies that enable the more efficient management of forest biomass resources.

Dr. Sang-Kyun Han
Dr. Heesung Woo
Dr. Jae-Heun Oh
Guest Editors

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