Editor's note
Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Boreal Tech Brief.
AI is now starting to deliver real results across forestry in a broader context - from production and planning to biodiversity and conservation. This week’s stories highlight that shift: AI tools are listening for endangered owls, predicting biological invasions, tracing every harvested log, and mapping ghost forests from space. What once sounded experimental is quickly becoming part of everyday forestry.
It’s the same with this newsletter. What started as a small experiment, a way to play around with AI tools and see what might come out of it - has now reached over 100 readers. That may be a modest number, but it feels like proof of what this new wave of accessible technology enables: testing ideas quickly, sharing value, and learning along the way. I’m genuinely grateful for everyone who’s joined in so far.
On Thursday, I’ll share a short deep dive looking back at the hot forestry topics from 15 years ago, and how far we’ve come since then.
Axel
PS. I’ll soon send out a short survey to learn what you enjoy and what could be improved. Your feedback will help shape what comes next - and yes, there’ll be rewards for those who take part.
AI Listens for Endangered Owls in Oregon Forests
Oregon researchers are using AI acoustic models to identify northern spotted owls by their calls, improving accuracy over human-based monitoring. The system runs continuously across wide forest areas, offering an efficient tool for protecting biodiversity and guiding habitat restoration.
Södra Launches New App for Forest Planners
Södra has launched its new Planläggarappen, a digital tool designed for the company’s forest planners to manage and streamline fieldwork. The app supports the entire planning process, from data collection to plan delivery - improving efficiency, feedback, and quality. Developed with Terra Labs (more about them in this Deep Dive), it marks a key step in Södra’s modernization of work methods and its broader digital shift in forestry management.
AI Tool Targets Biological Invasions Across Forest Ecosystems
Scientists unveiled a new AI platform that identifies and models forest biological invasions globally. By combining decades of biodiversity, climate, and ecological data, the tool predicts potential invasive species hotspots and helps forest managers prioritize biosecurity interventions and monitoring investments.
OTMETKA Makes Timber Traceability Unbreakable
It’s not brand new, but it’s so cool we had to feature it, thanks to Peter at The Forestry Brief for the tip. OTMETKA’s system marks each log with a unique, encrypted ID linking GPS, time, and harvest data directly to blockchain. This guarantees full stump-to-sawmill traceability, simplifies certification, and even protects set-aside forests. With operations in over 20 countries and partners across Europe and New Zealand, OTMETKA is redefining how forestry tracks every cubic meter of wood - sustainably and transparently.
Ghost Forests Along U.S. Coasts Revealed with AI
Researchers used machine learning to analyze remote sensing data and identified nearly 12 million dead coastal trees across U.S. states. The “ghost forests,” caused by saltwater intrusion and sea-level rise, highlight the growing ecological impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems.
Editors Comment: Somebody should try to use this approach on silver pine in the Nordics.