Forest and Digitalization: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Foresters?

On February 6, around 150 forestry sector participants gathered at VMU Agriculture Academy for the conference “Forest and Digitalization: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Foresters?”. The event focused on how digital technologies are transforming forestry, becoming irreplaceable tools for monitoring and management.

Opening Remarks

The conference began with opening remarks from Ramūnas Krugelis, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, and Astrida Miceikienė, Chancellor of VMU Agriculture Academy. They emphasized the huge potential of AI to revolutionize forestry, generate economic value, and address the sector’s pressing challenges.

Forest 4.0 – The Future of Forestry

Prof. Dr. Tomas Krilavičius, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics at Vytautas Magnus University and the Forest 4.0 project coordinator, introduced the Forest 4.0 project, highlighting how it can gather foresters’ problems and challenges and help solve them. Over a six-year period, the project, with its five strong partners, will serve as a tool to establish a Centre of Excellence for transforming forest environment monitoring. He pointed out that the aim of the conference is to introduce the project and gather foresters’ opinions about its new monitoring technologies: drones, LiDARs, satellites, crowdsourcing, IoT, and sensors. However, according to him, these innovations will not replace foresters, but will improve many processes, making their work safer and easier.

Digitalization in the Forestry Sector

The introduction to the Forest 4.0 project was followed by the keynote presentation “Digital Technologies: From Ideas to Actions”. Dr. Nerijus Kupstaitis and Prof. Gintautas Mozgeris highlighted that we rely on forests to combat the climate crisis. However, the forest information we have does not meet today’s needs, facing significant bureaucracy and requiring faster processes. The challenge of climate change for forests demands new, science-based solutions. The speakers stressed that it is essential to improve our understanding of forests and create the foundations for new forestry models, including those related to carbon farming, which would benefit the state. Numerous studies have already been conducted at the scientific level. However, bureaucracy and the need to change the entire paradigm hinder progress. New solutions must be sought much faster.

In the next presentation, “Digitalization Through the Eyes of Forestry Sector Participants”, Valdas Kaubrė from the Lithuanian State Forest Enterprise, Albertas Kasperavičius from the Lithuanian Forest Service, Haroldas Bertulis from the Lithuanian Enterprise Centre of Registers, Agnė Jasinavičiūtė from the Lithuanian Service for Protected Areas, Algis Gaižutis from the Lithuanian Forest and Landowners Association, and Raimonas Beinoras from the Association “Lithuanian Timber” shared their unique perspectives on forest management through digitalization. They discussed the technologies being used by different forestry sector participants, including LiDAR and machine learning to identify individual trees or forest cadastre data for the protection of natural values. For example, forest data is essential for mapping forest and species habitats, planning protected areas, decision-making, and compensation processes. The accuracy and periodic updating of official data are critically important, as well as the digitalization of internal forest management projects.

In the afternoon, the conference participants put ideas into practice, dividing into dedicated groups to discuss and explore topics related to digitalization in forestry. The main takeaways include:

Digitalization in collecting and using forest information: We need flexible, high-quality data that supports decisions and minimizes errors. A unified, state-managed forest information system is essential.
Digital innovations in forestry technologies: Foresters need real-time access to data and digital tools: AI models for forest restoration and planting, barcode scanning to replace manual entry, drones for assessing vegetation and young forest growth, AI for timber sorting, recreation planning, fire safety, and waste management. Challenges include legal restrictions on drone use, outdated technology, and the need for digital skills training.
Digitalization and forests in adapting to climate change: Forests suffer more from pests than climate change. Key needs include tools to monitor tree health and regeneration, climate mitigation via non-native species and agroforestry reforms, better digital literacy, and ministry support for forestry students, as well as live-streamed forest monitoring (photosynthesis, CO₂ levels).
Digital technologies for optimizing forest management: Forest data is fragmented—we need a unified system and clear policies. Main issues include rigid regulations favoring large state enterprises, lack of flexibility for private forest owners, and excessive bureaucracy blocking diverse forestry practices.

Technologies – a help or a threat?

Wrapping up the event, the participants of the forestry sector discussed whether digital technologies are a help or a threat to the forestry sector. Experts from the Lithuanian Forest Enterprise, Lithuanian Forest Service, Lithuanian Enterprise Centre of Registers, Lithuanian Service for Protected Areas, Lithuanian Forest and Landowners Association, Association “Lithuanian Timber,” Vytautas Magnus University, and the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry prepared a summary of proposals and an action plan for how we can move forward and together shape the future of our forests. Collaboration, innovation, and policy adjustments will be key in ensuring a balanced and sustainable digital transformation in forestry.