This autumn, field experts from Metsähallitus Forestry Ltd. will gain access to timber assortment yield predictions produced by artificial intelligence in forest management, a significant advancement in forest operational management. These AI-generated predictions mark the first data type aimed at enhancing operational forest planning and supporting field experts’ work.
“In the commercial forest managed by Metsähallitus, field experts need to juggle various objectives simultaneously, and the volume of information for planning has increased. The goal of this new artificial intelligence in forest management approach is to reduce manual field measurements, allowing experts to focus more on other critical aspects such as biodiversity and stakeholder engagement,” says Hannu Lehtonen, Metsähallitus Director of Forest Management.
The AI-driven yield predictions forecast the volume of different timber assortments harvested, impacting all processes and operations within Metsähallitus. “More accurate yield predictions will streamline the entire supply chain, from planning and harvesting to delivering timber to customers,” emphasizes Lehtonen.
Since last winter, these AI predictions have been tested across Finland, and this autumn, Metsähallitus will expand their use. Approximately 100 field experts will utilize these predictions across nearly 3 million hectares of forest land. “We are broadening the use of the data to gain more user experience and assess how the artificial intelligence in forest management predictions performs under varying conditions,” explains project manager Kari Louhisalmi from Metsähallitus.
Metsähallitus operates across a vast area and employs various forest management models. Initially, field experts will apply AI yield predictions for traditional final felling and thinning operations, with future plans to extend predictions to other forest management models.
For the past few years, Metsähallitus has partnered with Collective Crunch Oy to study artificial intelligence in forest management. This partnership, selected through an innovation model, aims to develop advanced modern methods and solutions. “We are thrilled that Metsähallitus is now advancing the use of yield predictions from our AI-powered platform, Linda. The digital transformation of forest operational management is progressing rapidly, and Metsähallitus is a leader in adopting these modern approaches,” says Jarkko Lipponen, CEO of Collective Crunch.
AI’s ability to integrate and process vast amounts of data from diverse sources, including remote sensing and harvesting machines, enhances its effectiveness. “The accuracy of the predictions will continue to improve as we gather more data from harvesting machines and receive feedback from field experts,” adds Louhisalmi.
In addition to timber assortment yield predictions, the Metsähallitus and Collective Crunch collaboration also focuses on developing an AI-based approach to identifying silvicultural needs, with further developments planned for the coming winter.
This article was originally published in Finnish on Metsähallitus’ website on 10th November 2021.
