Speaker
Description
Forest inventory data collection in operational forestry remains largely dependent on manual measurements recorded on paper forms or fragmented digital tools. Such practices increase the risk of transcription errors, compromise traceability between plots and trees, and generate delays between field acquisition and subsequent analysis. In remote forest environments, limited network connectivity further constrains the use of conventional digital platforms, often forcing practitioners to rely on disconnected workflows and post-field data consolidation. These limitations reduce operational efficiency and introduce inconsistencies that may propagate through downstream analyses and management decisions. As forest management increasingly demands transparent, standardised, and precision-oriented information, there is a clear need for digital systems capable of structuring field data capture while remaining functional under real operational constraints.
To address these challenges, this study presents ForestIN, a mobile and web-based application designed to digitise forest inventory data within a unified relational workflow. Developed using the Google AppSheet no-code platform and deployed across Android, iOS, and web interfaces, the system enables flexible implementation without requiring advanced programming expertise. ForestIN is structured around a relational database linking inventory plots, individual trees, and species records through universally unique identifiers, ensuring logical consistency and full data traceability. The application supports georeferenced measurements, multimedia documentation, and offline data capture with deferred synchronisation, allowing uninterrupted operation in areas without network coverage. The system was tested using forest inventory datasets from Spain and Finland to evaluate structural robustness and transferability across different operational contexts. Results demonstrate reliable offline performance, preservation of relational integrity during synchronisation, and export of complete datasets in interoperable formats. By integrating traditional field measurements into a scalable digital framework, ForestIN enhances data reliability, operational continuity, and collaborative forest management practices.
| Keywords | Forest_inventory; Precision_forestry; App; Google_AppSheet |
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