When people think of forestry, they usually picture muddy boots, measuring tapes, and chainsaws—but today’s modern forester is just as likely to be found writing Python scripts and querying geospatial databases. The forestry sector is currently experiencing a quiet revolution fueled by an explosion of free and open-source data, transforming how we monitor, measure, and manage complex woodland ecosystems.
This keynote explores the transition from traditional, localized forest inventories to the vast, open-source data ecosystem now available to researchers and practitioners. We will dive into the wealth of global datasets reshaping forest management, including high-resolution canopy height models from Meta and other tech giants, comprehensive datasets from the Horizon Europe PATHFINDER project, and satellite-derived products for biomass estimation from missions like GEDI.
Focusing on a case study in the diverse and challenging landscapes of Romania, we will demonstrate how these massive open-source datasets can be fused with local forest management data to create a comprehensive understanding of forest structure and health. We will explore the practical realities of integrating varied data sources—bridging the gap between global satellite observations and ground-level realities—to support sustainable forest management under climate change scenarios. Ultimately, this talk will prove that digital twinning in forestry is no longer just a buzzword, but an accessible reality powered by the global open-source community.