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The forestry sector is ripe for a tech revolution. Here are five technologies to watch out for in the near future. Source: Timberbiz First, keeping an eye on hundreds of thousands of trees is a herculean task, traditionally carried out on foot in all weathers. Imagery, whether it be taken by a drone or satellite, is a more efficient way to see the landscape. Using satellite images can help keep track of the forest’s condition and check the health of trees. Drones can fly among the trees and gather similar information, like tree density and health status. This way, areas needing attention can be quickly identified and necessary actions taken. However, it’s challenging to detect smaller trees, which can be overlooked in the images. Secondly, connect with your senses with a sensor for the air, monitoring temperature, humidity and quality. A sensor for the soil, monitoring moisture content. A sensor for the tree, monitoring growth. Combine all of these through an Internet-of-Things network, and an expansive, real-time and accurate picture of the forest can be created. While this can be used to optimise conditions, it can provide early warnings of wildfire or disease ensuring damage is minimised. Third, the advent of AI. Images and sensors provide vast quantities of potentially useful data. Without analysis, that data remains useless but analysing it is a complex and time-consuming process. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) can expedite the process while also providing far higher quality insights. By rapidly identifying patterns and anomalies in vast quantities of data, AI promises to enhance forest management. Fourth, controlled environment technologies involve controlling the environment to optimise growth. This is most obviously known in the form of vertical farming where light, temperature, nutrients and water levels are controlled to optimise the growth of crops, all on a smaller footprint of land due to the stacking of growing surfaces. The same can be applied to trees, by growing seedlings through vertical farming, ensuring optimal conditions, before being planted out-doors. This has the added benefit of growing saplings faster and in a bio-secure environment, reducing the risk of disease. Last is the rise of robotics. Forestry has been a human-centred activity for a long time but robotics and automation have made their way into the sector to increase productivity. Robotic harvesters are already available commercially, operating tasks such as pruning, harvesting, inventorying and planting. Teaming robotics with automation, as has been done in certain agricultural sectors, could further optimise the time and quality of these operations. Many of these technologies are already being explored within the forestry sector. For example, in Devon and Cornwall, drones have been used not for imaging, but to plant 75,000 seeds as a means of tripling rainforest cover in the area. As these technologies are adopted more widely, they will continue to be improved, and the value proposition will become more evident. Although early adopters may face initial challenges, they are also more likely to gain the greatest rewards rather than being left to play catchup.  

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) is making strides in international market engagement with the launch of a multi-lingual website and a targeted Japanese market awareness campaign. Source: Timberbiz Recognizing the importance of export markets, particularly in Asia, where Japan is Canada’s largest customer, WPAC’s website is now available in Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean. This initiative ensures that key international stakeholders can easily access information about the sustainability, quality and reliability of Canadian wood pellets. Japan is the fastest-growing wood pellet import market in the world, driven by its aggressive push to phase out coal and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The country’s long-term feed-in tariff (FIT) for bio-mass energy supports this transition, creating significant opportunities for Canada’s pellet sector. Canadian wood pellets are a key part of Japan’s clean energy future, offering a low-carbon, renewable alternative to fossil fuels. To further engage with Japanese customers, policymakers and energy influencers, WPAC has launched a communications campaign in Japan. This effort includes: A series of media articles highlighting the sustainability of Canadian wood pellets, third-party forest certification, and the role of biomass in reducing emissions. Search engine advertising to enhance visibility among key industry decision-makers. A feature article in Smart Japan, a leading energy-sector publication.

On Tuesday China suspended the soybean import licences of three US firms and halted imports of US logs, stepping up its retaliation for additional tariffs on Chinese goods. Source: Reuters China also imposed import levies covering US$21 billion worth of US agricultural and food products including soybeans, wheat, meat and cotton. The three US companies affected by the licence suspensions are farmer-owned cooperative CHS Inc (CHSCP.O), opens new tab, global grains exporter Louis Dreyfus Company Grains Merchandising LLC and export grain terminal operator EGT, China’s customs department said in a statement. Customs said it detected ergot and seed coating agent in imported US soybeans, while the suspension of US log imports was due to the detection of worms, aspergillus and other pests. Beijing is retaliating against US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an extra 10% duty on China, effective Tuesday, resulting in a cumulative 20% tariff in response to what the White House considers Chinese inaction over drug flows. The suspension of US logs was a direct response to Trump’s move on 1 March to order a trade investigation on imported lumber. Trump had earlier told reporters that he was thinking about imposing a 25% tariff rate on lumber and forest products. “The announcement of import restrictions on US lumber and soybeans linked with phytosanitary issues follows a long history of similar measures by Beijing,” said Even Pay, agriculture analyst at Trivium China. The bulk import volumes and natural origin of soybeans and lumber make them susceptible to issues with plant health and pests, creating a convenient target for trade retaliation, Mr Pay said. China is one of the world’s largest importers of wood products and the third-largest destination for US forest products. It imported around US$850 million worth of logs and other rough wood products from the US in 2024, according to Chinese customs data.

Applications for Young Plant Producer 2025 in New Zealand are now open.  This year’s competition takes place at Lincoln University on 24-25 June. Source: Timberbiz Young people who are 30 years or under by December 31, 2025 and working in the plant production industry are eligible to enter. The event provides: Hands-on industry experience Expert mentorship Networking opportunities A NZ$3,000 career development fund A shot at the Young Horticulturist of the Year with a prize pool worth $20,000+ The 2024 Young Plant Producer Anna England went on to win Young Horticulturist of the Year. She is using some of her winnings to visit overseas plant production operations this year and learn more about the latest tech. To find out more and apply, visit the Young Plant Producer website. https://www.youngplantproducer.co.nz/enter-now  

Forest & Wood Products Australia has launched FWPA Standard G02 – Recycled Timber: Visually Graded Decorative Products, the first national standard of its kind. Source: Timberbiz This new standard provides guidelines for visually grading recycled hardwood timber used in decorative applications, setting a critical framework for assessing and grading these materials. The result of industry funded research, and developed in collaboration with industry as-sociations, recycled timber stakeholders, and user representatives, G02 has undergone public comment, review and refinement based on practical application as part of the formal consultation process. “The industry has long sought greater clarity around recycled timber grading to further support the use of recycled timber products in the built environment, and G02 delivers just that,” FWPA’s National Codes & Standards Manager Boris Iskra said. “We are excited to see this standard adopted and look forward to launching further industry-led standards that positively impact our industry.” Industry Benefits of FWPA Standard G02 include: Quality Assurance – Establishes clear grading requirements for recycled hardwood timber. Compliance Verification – Helps manufacturers demonstrate adherence to industry guidelines. Guidance for Specifiers – Assists purchasers in making informed decisions. Encourages Sustainability – Promotes responsible recycling and resource conservation. Industry Standardisation – Creates a unified approach to recycled timber grading. Flexibility in Sourcing – Acknowledges the diverse origins of recycled timber. Facilitates Communication – Encourages better commercial transactions. Future Development – Lays the groundwork for formalisation as an Australian Standard. And in response to industry demand for clearer, more practical guidelines, FWPA has established a dedicated Standards Development Program. Again led by FWPA’s National Codes & Standards Manager Boris Iskra, this initiative ensures that industry-owned standards are developed with direct input from those who use them, improving efficiency, alignment with industry needs, and responsiveness to emerging challenges. At the heart of this collaborative effort is the Industry Standards Reference Panel (SRP), a diverse group of experts representing key industry voices. The SRP provides essential guidance and oversight, ensuring that FWPA’s standards are robust, practical, and beneficial across the supply chain. Through strategic collaboration and sustained efforts, FWPA has laid a strong foundation and built important momentum for this critical work to advance industry standards. In line with FWPA’s Strategic Plan 2023-2028, this initiative aims to develop enhanced building standards and codes that support the increased use of wood products. FWPA is committed to publishing at least two industry-owned standards per year while continuing to contribute to existing Australian Standards and collaborating with national timber and built environment committees. To learn more and download the FWPA G02 Recycled Timber – Visually Graded for Decorative Purposes click here.  

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has launched the FSC Brand Hub, a user-centric platform designed to streamline trademark management, marketing resources, and brand assets for all FSC stakeholders. Source: Timberbiz Developed with input from users around the world, the FSC Brand Hub is tailored to the needs of certificate holders, promotional licence holders, certification bodies, and other FSC partners. This new platform replaces the legacy system, offering an improved, modernised experience that is: Simple and intuitive: easy navigation and streamlined journeys for all users. Comprehensive: access to trademark designs, customisable assets, campaigns, and guidelines all in one place. Personalised: features like bookmarks and notifications create a personalised experience. Whether you’re managing trademark designs, building marketing campaigns, or creating custom assets, the FSC Brand Hub is a one-stop solution. To ensure a smooth transition, the new platform will run alongside the legacy system for a limited time, giving users the opportunity to explore and familiarise themselves with its features. FSC will also host a webinar to introduce the Brand Hub, including how to navigate the platform, customise assets, and make the most of this exciting new resource. The webinar is on 3 April 2025 at 6.30pm AEDT register here. Access the Hub at https://brandhub.fsc.org/auth/login

Australia’s forest products sector celebrates its amazing contribution to fighting climate change, providing skilled and regional employment, creating essential products and an enormous economic contribution – this International Day of Forests, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Diana Hallam said. Source: Timberbiz The 2025 theme is “Forests and Food” which highlights the important role our sector has for global food security. Forests are critical for climate regulation, soil enrichment, as an energy source and for water not to mention the critical and sustainable resource they provide for humankind. As global population grows, protecting forests all over the world from threats like deforestation and fire risks is only becoming more important. “This International Day of Forests Australia’s forest products sector is calling on all policy and political decision makers to better recognise the potential of Australian forestry to provide for the nation to meet our emission reduction targets and fight climate change – as well as contribute to our sovereign capability and provide essential products,” Ms Hallam said. “Australia leads the way in global forest management whether they be native forests or plantations. It’s something we must continue, not only to secure our own access to this sustainable resource, but because it sets a quality example for the rest of the world in how production forests should be managed. “In Australia – every tree harvested in our native forests for wood and timber is replaced by law for future generations. We value what forests can provide, and we need to ensure they’re harvested sustainably. Our plantations also play a critical role in providing resource for housing, while also helping reduce national emissions through carbon sequestration. “AFPA’s Federal Election Platform Australian Timber. Australia’s Future outlines what our sector needs to reach its potential in the future, and we encourage all sides of politics to commit to the Platform in full ahead of the Election. “International Day of Forests is a time to celebrate the power of forests and in Australia they certainly are a powerhouse for our nation.”  

The Green Triangle Fire Alliance (GTFA) has commended the outstanding efforts of industry brigades, state agencies, and community volunteers as they contend with ongoing heightened fire danger across South Australia and Victoria. Source: Timberbiz Extreme temperatures, gusty winds, and persistent dry conditions have driven severe fire danger ratings, with firefighting crews responding to more than 100 fires in the past week alone. These incidents resulted in the loss of key plantation estates, farming land, and areas of native forest. The GTFA’s network of 15 AI-enabled fire detection cameras have been instrumental as a first point of detection for many of these fires, supporting rapid response times and guiding the strategic deployment of firefighting resources. GTFA General Manager Anthony Walsh highlighted the crucial role of industry-funded assets, including a dedicated helicopter that was dispatched to 11 fires, providing fast and efficient aerial suppression, often in rugged and difficult-to-access terrain. “Our highly trained industry firefighting crews have been on high alert, working alongside CFA and CFS volunteers and state agencies to protect our communities and landscapes,” Mr. Walsh said. “These recent conditions have underscored the value of our AI-driven detection network, which is delivering real-time alerts ahead of traditional human surveillance. Early detection combined with rapid deployment, strengthened by our industry helicopter, is critical in preventing fires from escalating.” The GTFA’s Forest Industry Brigade, derived from staff across nine plantation companies, comprises 300 trained firefighting personnel, 150 appliances, and an industry-funded helicopter, supported by strategically placed floating collar tanks for rapid aerial refuelling. The Alliance has also invested in the development of key firefighting dams in priority areas, enhancing water availability near vital plantation assets. “From boots on the ground to cutting-edge technology, every action taken strengthens our ability to safeguard the region,” Mr Walsh added.

Dryad Networks, a leader in ultra-early wildfire detection, is setting up its first office in Australia and New Zealand to help tackle the region’s growing bushfire crisis. Source: Timberbiz Based in Macquarie Park, New South Wales, the new hub strengthens Dryad’s ability to work directly with governments, emergency services, and industry partners to prevent fires before they spread. Sohan Domingo, who is serving as the Vice President of Sales, Technology, and Operations, is leading the expansion into Australia and New Zealand. Dryad is starting with a dedicated local team and will scale up as demand grows. Having a local base means working closely with emergency responders, forestry services, and national parks to roll out fire detection solutions tailored to Australia and New Zealand’s unique landscapes. “Australia and New Zealand are on the frontlines of climate adaptation, and early fire detection is critical,” Mr Domingo said. “With a local team, Dryad can work directly with authorities and land managers to stop fires before they spread.” Building on success in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, the company is bringing its technology to ANZ to detect fires before flames appear and prevent devastating losses. Each sensor runs maintenance-free for up to 15 years, powered by a small, integrated solar cell. Designed for rugged conditions, the sensors form a wireless mesh network that provides reliable coverage even in remote areas. Detecting fires at the smouldering stage gives emergency services a crucial head start. The system provides real-time fire maps and outperforms spotting towers, infrared cameras, and satellites, which only detect fires once they’ve spread. “Bushfires don’t just destroy landscapes and communities, they also fuel climate change,” Mr Domingo said. “Early detection is the key to stopping them before they spread. Dryad’s expansion isn’t just about growth; it’s about protecting lives, infrastructure, and forests. By reducing fire risk, we’re also cutting carbon emissions and building a more resilient future.” Dryad is also advancing wildfire suppression with Silvaguard, an autonomous artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drone that uses acoustic waves to extinguish fires. This innovation will provide a rapid, automated response to fire outbreaks detected by Dryad’s sensors, reinforcing early intervention efforts. Plans are underway to explore deployment opportunities in Australia and New Zealand, where fast-moving fires pose a critical challenge. Dryad is partnering with Indigenous Industries Australia (IIAust), Thinxtra, Indicium Dynamics, and New Zealand’s Direct Safety to accelerate deployment. These alliances tap into local expertise to scale bushfire detection across ANZ. Dryad also works with research institutions, government agencies, and emergency responders to refine its system and strengthen bushfire resilience in diverse landscapes.

Tasmania has been burning for more than two weeks, with no end in sight. Almost 100,000 hectares of bushland in the northwest has burned to date. This includes the Tarkine rainforest and alpine ecosystems of Cradle Mountain that may never recover. The situation has taken emergency services and land management agencies by surprise. The seasonal bushfire outlook for summer 2024 suggested Tasmania’s fire risk was nothing out of the ordinary. The state was also well prepared for bushfire fighting, particularly with specialised aircraft. But this fire season has turned out to be anything but typical. Firefighting capacity has been stretched to the limit and interstate crews have been called in. It all began with a massive lightning storm in the evening of Monday 3 February. The incidence of such lightning fires has been increasing in Tasmania since the 1990s. An official inquiry into the bushfires will no doubt be held, given the substantial social, economic and environmental harm – as well as the sizeable costs associated with fighting the fires from the air in remote and rugged landscapes. Nonetheless, important lessons are emerging from these fires, which speak to the broader, worsening threat as the climate changes. Fortunately, direct economic losses from these fires have been limited so far, despite significant disruption associated with evacuation and road closures. Tourism operators and honey producers have been hardest hit. The fires caused brief but substantial smoke pollution across the state, placing a range of people with medical conditions at risk. The full environmental effects and the benefits of prescribed burning are yet to be evaluated. Nonetheless, there is grave concern about damage to unique rainforests and alpine ecosystems. If sufficiently dry the organic soils, or peats, that supports forests and treeless areas in western Tasmania are also vulnerable to combustion. We undertook a preliminary estimate of how much highly fire-sensitive vegetation – plant communities that will take more than 50 years to recover – may have burned. This involved comparing the current bushfire boundaries or footprint, based on satellite data and field reconnaissance, to vegetation mapping used for various purposes including fire management. We put the figure at 19,716 hectares of vegetation. However, it’s possible not all of this burned, and islands of unburned vegetation persist within the broad fire boundary. Our estimation includes 10,419 hectares of temperate rainforest (10% of the fire area) and 462 hectares of alpine vegetation (0.45% of the fire area). Neither of these vegetation types can readily tolerate fire. Our analysis suggests about half of fire-affected rainforest areas have been previously burned by fires since 1982 (48%) and some small areas have burned twice (5%). Recurrent fires in rainforest can result in permanent loss of this vegetation. Just how much damage has been done will require further assessment. The number of fires ignited by lightning have increased in Tasmania since the 1990s. When the lightning occurs in storms without much rain, or where the rain evaporates before it hits the ground, it’s known as dry lightning. Concerningly, in the last decade two other major dry lightning fire events have occurred, likely a signal of a change in fire activity. As a result, fires are burning into areas that historically are rarely affected by fire, damaging the natural values of the Tasmanian wilderness. Going into summer, experts were concerned that soils across western Tasmania were particularly dry. This increased the fire risk in the seasonal outlook. The recent rapid-fire growth in Tasmania was caused by the unusual combination of regional drying (including dry soils), an extreme lightning storm and subsequent strong winds. But the sequence of events that caused this fire to take off could not have been predicted more than a week ahead. That’s because it is impossible to predict lightning and windstorms outside the seven-day window of weather forecasts. What’s more, our research shows it is currently not possible to reliably predict which lightning strikes will start fire. Massive lightning storms that ignite multiple fires overwhelm the capacity of firefighters to locate and immediately extinguish all the flames. Unfavourable weather conditions caused the west coast fires to rapidly grow. Firefighting shifted from attempts to extinguish the fire to instead contain its spread. This involved techniques such as targeted waterbombing, back burning and building fire breaks. These approaches have been successful in some cases, notably the deployment of retardant drops to contain the Canning Peak fire, saving extensive stands of conifer rainforest. But suppression efforts were imperfect, as the loss of a private tourist facility hut on the Overland Track has demonstrated. Managing these massive fires demands triage – making difficult choices about where to direct firefighting effort. Effective triage requires a detailed understanding of the location of areas of high economic, cultural and environmental value. High-quality mapping of these sites and involvement of specialists in the broader decision-making process is essential. The Tasmanian government does have maps and expertise to guide triage, but there are calls for more investment to protect the region’s ecological values. This is particularly important for small, localised sites vulnerable to fire, such as groves of ancient Huon pine. Dry lightning storms are hard to predict, extraordinarily difficult to contain, and can cause substantial economic, social and environmental harms. Technology alone – such as that which combines satellites, artificial intelligence, drones and water bombers – is not enough to eliminate these fires. What’s needed is a diverse portfolio of approaches, involving a combination of: reducing fuel loads by prescribed burning firefighting that is carefully targeted using high quality data expertise embedded in firefighting teams. Researchers and fire managers must also identify the best strategies for prescribed burning to reduce bushfire risk while protecting areas of high economic, conservation and cultural value. Climate change will bring more frequent monster fires and fighting them demands a broad suite of investment. David Bowman, University of Tasmania and Grant Williamson, University of Tasmania. This article was first published in The Conversation