MISTRA DIGITAL FOREST ANNUAL REPORT 2020 1
PRECISION FORESTRY GNSS & GPS – what's the differ
ence? GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System and refers to satellite positioning regardless of which satellite systems are used. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and refers to positioning with the American GPS system, and was initially the only system that was available. LARS OHLIN BJÖRN HANNRUP Digital solutions facilitating marking, nature management considerations, and the planning of landings are in sight In 2020, BillerudKorsnäs worked with Skogforsk on digital solutions related to marking, nature management considerations and landings – and the results of the projects show great potential both for more sustainable forestry with higher precision, and for better decision-making support for forest machine operators. In recent years, the conditions for accurate satellite positioning in the forest have got better. The number of satellites has doubled and receivers have been improved. – Improved GNSS positioning opens up new opportunities in forestry, such as digital marking and digitalised nature conservation management, says Björn Hannrup, a researcher at Skogforsk. Marking is currently done by setting up physical tapes, for example to mark boundaries, groves and places where extra care must be taken before felling. It is not only a time-consuming task but there is also the risk of tapes falling down. – By replacing physical tapes with digital ones on the driver's map, safety could be increased whilst also reducing planning costs. Using digital marking, the driver gets a warning when approaching sensitive objects, and the risk of making mistakes is reduced. In addition, it facilitates activities in less favourable conditions, such as in darkJohan J. Möller and Björn Hannrup follow up the success of the software algorithms in assessing the number of retention trees left in areas by the harvester. Photo: Elin Fries / BITZER ness and snow, where physical tapes can be difficult to see, says Lars Ohlin, IT manager for Forestry Planning IT-Systems at BillerudKorsnäs. MACHINE OPERATORS ARE POSITIVE ABOUT NEW DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Lars Ohlin, who has worked together with Björn Hannrup during the autumn of 2020, has let the forest company's forest machine operators drive in three different areas with digital tapes – all with existing machines and equipment. – All the drivers were very positive. They provided valuable input, for example about the distance at which they want to be warned, in order for them to feel confident, says Lars Ohlin. GNSS positioning can also be used for digital nature conservation management. At present, there is no satisfactory follow-up system for nature conservation and the creation of tall stumps and trees of particular natural value. The driver has to keep track of these measures himself. But, with funding from the Skogssällskapet Foundation, Skogforsk 12