Periodic Reporting for period 3 - FORESTMAP (Quick and cost-effective integrated web platform for forest inventories)
Période du rapport: 2021-10-01 au 2022-07-31
Wood-based industries, forest consultants and private owners need accurate and reliable data of values and state of the forest in order to properly manage it. Traditional forest inventories are critical in forest management yet are expensive, laborious and time-consuming (delivery takes weeks). A delay and/or inaccuracy in forest reports could translate into large economic losses and biased management. ForestMap is a game-changing web tool to obtain forest inventory reports remotely. ForestMap intuitive interface allows anyone to automatically generate forest inventories of a chosen area without the need of field work and unnecessary delays. It estimates all relevant variables included in a professional forest inventory through a combination of pre-processed remote sensing data and powerful predictive models. ForestMap is an unprecedented solution that delivers accurate, quick and cost-effective forest inventory reports to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Forest monitoring and management are critical tasks to achieve the principal goals of the EU forest strategy to 2030. The strategy highlights that forests are important for rural development, forest-based and bioenergy industries, the protection of biodiversity and the fight against climate change, forest fires and sets the aim to increase the mobilisation of wood resources always according to Sustainable Forest Management principles. Moreover, forest monitoring through ForestMap will push small owners to inventory their properties, contributing to a major mobilisation of wood resources for more than 432,000 EU forest-based industries (95% SMEs).
ForestMap objectives are divided into TECHNICAL and COMMERCIAL:
Technical objectives:
a) To develop an updated version of the models and algorithm
b) Enlargement of species algorithms to expand business in targets markets
c) An enhanced multilingual web platform and mobile app
Commercial objectives:
a) Pre-commercial agreements
b) Have business prepared to launch platform at 6 additional EU countries [FRA, DEU, ITA, PRT, SVN and FIN].
c) Update pricing policies and business plan.
Forest monitoring and management are critical tasks to achieve the principal goals of the EU forest strategy to 2030. The strategy highlights that forests are important for rural development, forest-based and bioenergy industries, the protection of biodiversity and the fight against climate change, forest fires and sets the aim to increase the mobilisation of wood resources always according to Sustainable Forest Management principles. Moreover, forest monitoring through ForestMap will push small owners to inventory their properties, contributing to a major mobilisation of wood resources for more than 432,000 EU forest-based industries (95% SMEs).
ForestMap objectives are divided into TECHNICAL and COMMERCIAL:
Technical objectives:
a) To develop an updated version of the models and algorithm
b) Enlargement of species algorithms to expand business in targets markets
c) An enhanced multilingual web platform and mobile app
Commercial objectives:
a) Pre-commercial agreements
b) Have business prepared to launch platform at 6 additional EU countries [FRA, DEU, ITA, PRT, SVN and FIN].
c) Update pricing policies and business plan.
Work Package 1 -Data Acquisition- has fully completed during this third period. Tasks T1.1 T1.2 T1.3 and T1.4 were already finished in previous period and in this period Task 1.5 was completed as the analysis of the extra LiDAR information was developed. The final payment of that flight was also made in this third period.
In Work Package 2 -Algorithm optimization and enlargement-, Tasks T.2.1 and T.2.2 were fully implemented in previous period. During the third period, T.2.3 T.2.4 and T.2.5 have been completed. Due to improvement of COVID-19 situation, final measurements of field information for model development were carried out in the first months of this period. The extension of the project has allowed an adequate implementation of the development of algorithms based on airborne LiDAR and satellite data.
In Work Package 3 -ForestMap algorithm calibration and validation- Task T3.1 was fully implemented in previous period. During this third period tasks T3.2 , T3.3 T3.4 and T3.5 have been completed. In this sense, D5 D3.1 Model validation report has been finished and submitted during this third period. This report is adapted to the final selected species. With that submission, Milestone 2-MS 2 Models are adapted to species type and country has been also achieved during this period.
Aligned with previous paragraph, with Deliverable D3.1 and the previous Deliverables submitted Milestone MS3- We have engaged on data acquisition and field calibration with stakeholders is also achieved during this third period.
In Work Package 4 -Database architecture and web portal application programming-, Tasks T4.3 “Implementation of the database and the web portal: E-commerce, security and Multilanguage”, T4.4 “Integration and testing” and T4.5 “Maintenance & back-up systems” have been fully developed during this third period.
Regarding the database architecture and design, ForestMap is built using PostgreSQL database management system (DBMS) and PostGIS extension. It is based on a relational database system that allows creating advanced database models. It also includes geographical information system (GIS) compatibility which lets ForestMap storing and working with GIS data.
From October 2021, an important effort has been made in Work Package 5 -Market readiness and certification-. All the tasks, T 5.1 “Business Model Settings with End Users”, T5.2 “Development of policies of external collaborators. Provider's training”, T5.3 “Price policy and payment systems definition” and T5.4 “Analysis of legal requirements before market launch” have been fully implemented during this third period. A complete description of the whole progress is found at Deliverable D7 D5.1 Update the business plan, submitted also during this period as planned and described in the DoA.
As described in WP5, a great effort has been made in Work Package 6 -Exploitation and Dissemination activities- to complete all the tasks (T6.1 T6.2 T6.3 and T6.4) during this period. As COVID situation improved, and travel restrictions decreased, tasks have been implemented. In this third period Deliverable D10 D6.3 PEDR final release has been submitted. Deliverable D6.3 includes a detailed explanation of all the actions developed.
During this third period, in Work Package 7-Project management- we have made an extra effort to deal with the situation due to COVID including travel restrictions and quarantines. As in previous period, we have been forced to ask for a four months extension amendment, to finish the project by the end of July 2022. This extra period generates additional dedication as a new report (technical and financial) is necessary.
Final report report includes all aspects regarding technical and financial project´s development. This Report has been completed in this third period and it includes an update of issues presented in previous reports (Deliverable D12 D7.2 Final Report Update of issues).
To conclude, Work Package 8-Ethics requirements- defined to ensure compliance with the 'ethics requirements' of the project., completed as planned during this third period.
In relation with exploitation and dissemination a complete description of all the actions implemented, since the beginning of the project, is shown in Deliverable D10 D6.3 Plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results (PEDR)-final release.
In Work Package 2 -Algorithm optimization and enlargement-, Tasks T.2.1 and T.2.2 were fully implemented in previous period. During the third period, T.2.3 T.2.4 and T.2.5 have been completed. Due to improvement of COVID-19 situation, final measurements of field information for model development were carried out in the first months of this period. The extension of the project has allowed an adequate implementation of the development of algorithms based on airborne LiDAR and satellite data.
In Work Package 3 -ForestMap algorithm calibration and validation- Task T3.1 was fully implemented in previous period. During this third period tasks T3.2 , T3.3 T3.4 and T3.5 have been completed. In this sense, D5 D3.1 Model validation report has been finished and submitted during this third period. This report is adapted to the final selected species. With that submission, Milestone 2-MS 2 Models are adapted to species type and country has been also achieved during this period.
Aligned with previous paragraph, with Deliverable D3.1 and the previous Deliverables submitted Milestone MS3- We have engaged on data acquisition and field calibration with stakeholders is also achieved during this third period.
In Work Package 4 -Database architecture and web portal application programming-, Tasks T4.3 “Implementation of the database and the web portal: E-commerce, security and Multilanguage”, T4.4 “Integration and testing” and T4.5 “Maintenance & back-up systems” have been fully developed during this third period.
Regarding the database architecture and design, ForestMap is built using PostgreSQL database management system (DBMS) and PostGIS extension. It is based on a relational database system that allows creating advanced database models. It also includes geographical information system (GIS) compatibility which lets ForestMap storing and working with GIS data.
From October 2021, an important effort has been made in Work Package 5 -Market readiness and certification-. All the tasks, T 5.1 “Business Model Settings with End Users”, T5.2 “Development of policies of external collaborators. Provider's training”, T5.3 “Price policy and payment systems definition” and T5.4 “Analysis of legal requirements before market launch” have been fully implemented during this third period. A complete description of the whole progress is found at Deliverable D7 D5.1 Update the business plan, submitted also during this period as planned and described in the DoA.
As described in WP5, a great effort has been made in Work Package 6 -Exploitation and Dissemination activities- to complete all the tasks (T6.1 T6.2 T6.3 and T6.4) during this period. As COVID situation improved, and travel restrictions decreased, tasks have been implemented. In this third period Deliverable D10 D6.3 PEDR final release has been submitted. Deliverable D6.3 includes a detailed explanation of all the actions developed.
During this third period, in Work Package 7-Project management- we have made an extra effort to deal with the situation due to COVID including travel restrictions and quarantines. As in previous period, we have been forced to ask for a four months extension amendment, to finish the project by the end of July 2022. This extra period generates additional dedication as a new report (technical and financial) is necessary.
Final report report includes all aspects regarding technical and financial project´s development. This Report has been completed in this third period and it includes an update of issues presented in previous reports (Deliverable D12 D7.2 Final Report Update of issues).
To conclude, Work Package 8-Ethics requirements- defined to ensure compliance with the 'ethics requirements' of the project., completed as planned during this third period.
In relation with exploitation and dissemination a complete description of all the actions implemented, since the beginning of the project, is shown in Deliverable D10 D6.3 Plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results (PEDR)-final release.
ForestMap allows to go further from current forest inventory state of the art by combining advanced remote sensing with our calibrated and validated statistical models, to provide reliable predictions of forest’s main variables to build forest inventories. We are also prepared to use data from future forest missions such as the ESA’s Biomass Mission (radar satellite scheduled for 2023) anticipating the release of valuable data and its inclusion in the platform.
ForestMap can actively help small owners to inventory their properties, contributing to a major mobilisation of wood resources for more than 432,000 EU forest-based industries, most of them SMEs (95%). ForestMap can solve the needs of wood working industries, forest consultants and private owners.
ForestMap can actively help small owners to inventory their properties, contributing to a major mobilisation of wood resources for more than 432,000 EU forest-based industries, most of them SMEs (95%). ForestMap can solve the needs of wood working industries, forest consultants and private owners.