AIDForHeRI: AI-Driven Forest Health Risk Indicator

Research project funded by FFG - ASAP 18

Project runtime: 01.07.2022 - 31.10.2023

This is the core question, which we try to answer in the FFG project AIDForHeRI. Using artificial intelligence and ecological modeling techniques, we determine the current and future risk of a forest stand for bark beetle infestation. The Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (meteorological data and climate scenarios) and the start-up Beetle ForTech (validation and reference data collection) complete the project team.

The project goal is to support forest owners os and forest authorities in rapid forest disturbance detection to enable a quick reaction via forest management activities, such as salvage logging. A risk prediction based on climate scenario data will help to identify forest stands with an increased risk of damage in the future, so that preventive measures to minimize the effects of climate change can already be initialized today. So that our forests can continue to fulfill its many functions as commercial forests, protection forests, recreational areas, habitats and CO2 sinks in the future.