3 Reasons why Forestry Companies Use Drones to Determine Tree Stocking Levels

The industry leaders have known it for quite some time: drones and drone data can greatly improve forest management processes on multiple levels. Now, two drone experts with extensive forest monitoring experience outline some of the biggest advantages of this technology for you.

Information about the total tree count in forests surely is one of the most important data sets for forest management companies. Knowing the precise number of trees at different points in time helps ensure stable growth and maximize profits. Especially during the first few years after planting, it is vital to ensure general forest health and to know when to intervene with spraying or interplanting.

With drone data becoming one of the most powerful helpers in agriculture, it may come as no surprise that forest management companies are now also discovering the vast benefits of this technology for their own field.

Drone experts Konrad Kern from Falcon Aerial Data and Curt Rogers from TimberDrone have both extensive experience as drone operators and been working with forest management companies on improving the way they determine tree stocking levels for several years. Now, they have shared their top 3 reasons why successful forest management companies seek the help of drone operators to count and analyze trees.

1. By using drone data, forest management companies no longer have to install fixed area plots.

The number of total trees or the number of trees per acre is usually obtained by installing fixed area plots. Even though the number obtained from this go into computerized inventory systems, it remains tedious and does not show the actual tree distribution. Curt Rogers from TimberDrone explains how they solve this for their clients: “We fly the unit with a drone and send the imagery to Agremo to count the trees and deliver a shapefile (SHP) of the stem locations. We then use ground transects in the field to record a selection of 50–100 trees per unit to get species and height information. “

“We can do both the flight and transect in about 1/2 of the time it takes to do a full survey with fixed area plots.” — Curt Rogers from TimberDrone

This, consequently, leads to extensive time savings.

2. Drone data is much more accurate than traditional data collection measures.

Overview of counting results on Agremo App

Example of a forest area which was processed with an Agremo Plant Population analysis

Even though drone data processing is a relatively new phenomenon, the outputs users get from the right kind of software are still more accurate than traditional measures, which often include a lot of manual work or less accurate estimates. And as Konrad Kern from Falcon Aerial Data explains, “accurate inventory is always necessary to increased profits.”

“Of the few vendors who advertised this service, Agremo provided a vastly superior capability. It is extremely important to base any remote sensing assessment in solid ground truth. Agremo clearly excelled over their competitors.” — Konrad Kern, Falcon Aerial Data

In terms of forest management operations, the need for accurate data for tree counts is important for both mature trees which are about to be cut as well as to relatively young trees:

“On a stand of trees which was ready to harvest, we demonstrated the ability to count trees, provide height and plant health information to an accuracy statistically consistent with ground truth provided forestry management company. Analysis of seedling stands was similarly successful. The forestry management company gained a much more accurate assessment of sellable board feet of lumber they can expect to harvest from a stand. By imaging, counting, and doing tree health analysis of a seedling stand, they can better understand their “infant mortality” problem at the beginning of their production,” says Konrad.

3. It’s not just the total number of trees — the users get to see exactly how each area is performing.

Comprehensive drone data reports allow users not just to quickly find out how many trees they have in total. The right kind of report will also tell them how many trees there are in which area.

“The ability to see where the trees are clustered is extremely valuable to our clients. Areas of understocking show where it may be necessary to interplant with more trees or do some kind of land rehabilitation. Areas of overstocking show where it may be necessary to thin the trees to a lower tree per acre count. If trees are spaced too tightly it can impede growth and wood quality,” says Curt from TimberDrone.

Besides this, drone data is also used to determine the seedling survival rate after the first year or two. By seeing exactly how many seedlings have survived the winter or the summer, forest management companies can monitor their trees’ performance and react in time in case something is not going as planned.

Determining tree stocking levels with drones — how it’s done

Drone data is obtained by firstly collecting aerial data using a drone. Curt from TimberDrone remembers how they first started: “Our first forestry flight occurred almost 7 years ago, and consisted of an Android phone attached to a custom hexacopter… Today, we rely almost exclusively on the Phantom 4 V2.0 for tree countings. Relatively inexpensive, reliable, easy to replace, and equipped with a good camera, the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 fits our needs well.”

As a next step, drone images are converted into maps and processed by drone data analysis software solutions. Curt from TimberDrone works with Plant Population reports from Agremo, which show the total number of trees (or any kind of plant) in all respective areas. “In the end, our client receives all the information necessary for the inventory system as well as a stem map showing how the trees are distributed across their landscape,” he explains.

Drone operators like Curt and Konrad know that the mere drone images are not what provides value for their customers. The value lies in the accurate data obtained from these images with quality reports and analyses.

Try Agremo Analytics

Free - no credit card required

What Our Clients Say About Us

  • Agremo's AI solution turns DJI's drone imagery into actionable insights, and its recipe maps make our AGRAS drone a truly intelligent and precise spraying tool." The integration of the Agremo platform between Agremo and the DJI drone is a turnkey solution for precision agriculture.

    DJI Agriculture

    Smart Farming Team

  • As markets become more defined and customer expectations are increasingly specific, Black Gold believes that we must develop greater awareness of how our crops function. Agremo provides a new window into understanding what is happening in our fields at a more granular level and how to move the needle in the best direction.

    Bryan Bowen

    Director of Agronomy at Black Gold Farms

  • Agremo helps us better understand and adjust to changes throughout the growing season. The flexibility and agility the Agremo team has shown through their platform enable us to adjust and meet changing demands due to weather or pest developments as the season progresses. In addition, the Agremo team consistently listens to feedback to ensure that everything works as described for our specific use cases.

    John Glick

    CIO at Cochranville Ag Service

  • After introducing mapping and crop analysis reports to farmers, they could see their field from another perspective. Agremo is helping us bring essential information to farmers which were impossible to get until recently.

    Ramón Pagán

    Mapping Expert and President @ Caribe Drones // Puerto Rico

  • Agremo’s map is more specific. Competitors break their maps into half-acre grids, but Agremo colors the whole thing exactly how it is. Visually, it’s night and day. A lot of farmers are visual.

    Corey Nohl

    Drone Operator and Farmer @ Above All Aerial // MN, USA

  • With Agremo reports, farmers they can increase productivity, reduce major problems by having early warnings during the early stages of the crops preventing major losses. Bottom line, increase ROI while minimizing losses.

    Miguel Ángel Salgado

    General Manager & Mapping Expert @ Ansar Drone // Mexico

  • The best thing about the plant population reports is the accuracy, which is splendid and it is very important! Great service at eye level with the customer!

    Sune Enevoldsen

    Field Manager and Drone Operator @ Noble Nordmann // Denmark

  • The biggest benefit for farmers who use drones and Agremo reports is that they increase their yields, reduce costs or improve their productivity. In the end, all these benefits are lead to extra profits.

    Ciprian Iorga

    General Manager @ La Orizont // Romania

  • We introduced new farming methods to farmers in Africa, who recognized that Agremo and drones can provide them with quicker, more convenient, efficient and accurate way of gathering decision making information.

    Derrick Annan

    CEO @ Aeroshutter // Ghana

  • With Agremo, we doubled our productivity, and our forestry clients are happy with the Agremo reports necessary for the inventory system as well as a stem map with tree distribution.

    Curt Rogers

    Co-owner @ TimberDrone // USA

  • Of the few vendors who advertised drone imagery analytics, Agremo provided a vastly superior capability. It is extremely important to base any remote sensing assessment in solid ground truth. Agremo clearly excelled over their competitors.

    Konrad Kern

    Image Scientist @ Falcon Aerial Data // USA

  • Agremo Stand Count analysis shows how successful seeding was and how many plants farmers will be able to harvest. Withal, it can help to apply different sowing standards in different parts of the plot, in order to achieve the highest yields.

    Zdravko Hojka

    Agroservice and Product Manager (Maize and Oil Crops), KWS SAAT AG

  • Since we ran our first report with Agremo, both our company and our customers continue to be impressed with the accuracy of the reports compared to our ground truthing. We have leveraged many Agremo reports but find the most value in crop health, weed and stand count analyses. We continue to leverage the Agremo intelligence as a proven way to improve our customers’ bottom line.

    Jeff Buyck

    VP of Precision Ag C&B

    GET A DEMO

    Free demo - no credit card required

    What precision agriculture reports do you need?

    • Weed Detection

      • spot weed-infested areas in time
      • take immediate effective in-season corrective measures
      • get precise spraying maps
    • Green Snap Detection

      • identify and classify areas with broken plants in the field
      • locate and quantify the crop damage
    • Lodging Detection

      • detect and classify areas with lodged plants
      • locate and quantify the crop damage
    • Stand Count

      • get the precise number of plants in a specific area
      • evaluate seed quality
      • assess field damages
      • know the zones of potential yield losses
    • VRS Stand Count

      • calculate the percentage under the norm in each zone with the same seeding rate
      • reduce input costs in the low-productivity field areas
      • count plants in the best and the worst zones
    • Plant Vigor

      • get data on the exact location, condition, strength, and lushness of vegetation
      • optimize the usage of inputs, save on them and prevent over-application
    • Waterlogging Detection

      • quickly and accurately locate all potential waterlogged areas in your field
      • reduce the negative effects of waterlogging, regardless of the field size and crop sort
    • Canopy Cover

      • get vital data on vegetation conditions and primary plant productivity
      • get the necessary details regarding the leaf area index (LAI)
      • determine the most optimal LAI for the fruits, vegetables, or cereals

       

    • Plant Count and Size Analysis

      • Count all plants in the field, such as leafy greens, trees, or orchard tree fruits.
      • Classify them per user-set size parameters, and filter out the counted plants per size.
      • Prepare the harvest operation per yield-ready zones
    • Weed Detection

      • spot weed-infested areas in time
      • take immediate effective in-season corrective measures
      • get precise spraying maps
    • Green Snap Detection

      • identify and classify areas with broken plants in the field
      • locate and quantify the crop damage
    • Lodging Detection

      • detect and classify areas with lodged plants
      • locate and quantify the crop damage
    • Stand Count

      • get the precise number of plants in a specific area
      • evaluate seed quality
      • assess field damages
      • know the zones of potential yield losses
    • VRS Stand Count

      • calculate the percentage under the norm in each zone with the same seeding rate
      • reduce input costs in the low-productivity field areas
      • count plants in the best and the worst zones
    • Plant Vigor

      • get data on the exact location, condition, strength, and lushness of vegetation
      • optimize the usage of inputs, save on them and prevent over-application
    • Waterlogging Detection

      • quickly and accurately locate all potential waterlogged areas in your field
      • reduce the negative effects of waterlogging, regardless of the field size and crop sort
    • Canopy Cover

      • get vital data on vegetation conditions and primary plant productivity
      • get the necessary details regarding the leaf area index (LAI)
      • determine the most optimal LAI for the fruits, vegetables, or cereals

       

    • Plant Count and Size Analysis

      • Count all plants in the field, such as leafy greens, trees, or orchard tree fruits.
      • Classify them per user-set size parameters, and filter out the counted plants per size.
      • Prepare the harvest operation per yield-ready zones