Plantation forestry requires accurate, timely, and cost-effective inventory data to support decisions on thinning, harvesting, growth projections, and valuation. Traditional inventory methods have served the industry for decades, but modern tools like TRESTIMA® now deliver major improvements in speed, accuracy, objectivity, and efficiency.
Traditional Plantation Inventory Methods
Conventional inventories usually rely on fixed-area plots or variable-radius sampling. Field crews manually:
- Establish sample plots across the stand
- Measure tree diameters (DBH) with calipers or tapes
- Measure tree heights using clinometers
- Record species, defects, and other attributes
- Later calculate volumes and extrapolate results to the whole plantation
Main challenges of the traditional approach:
- Very time-consuming – one hectare can take a long time to inventory
- Labor-intensive and expensive – often requires teams of trained people
- Subjective – results vary between different operators
- Limited number of plots due to cost and time constraints
- Human errors in measurement and recording
- Slow reporting – data processing happens after returning from the field
How TRESTIMA Works
TRESTIMA® is an image-based forest inventory system optimized for planted forests. The process is simple:
- The system automatically creates an optimal number of sample plots based on the plantation area and required accuracy.
- The mobile app guides the user to each plot.
- The user takes one photo per plot in the direction shown on screen.
- Photos are uploaded to the cloud where machine vision automatically analyzes the trees.
- Key data (DBH, basal area, stem count, diameter distribution) is extracted.
- Comprehensive reports with volumes and error estimates are generated quickly.
All data is GPS-tagged and stored with photos in the cloud.
Key Benefits of TRESTIMA Compared to Traditional Methods
1. Much Faster
Inventories can be completed in under 5 minutes per hectare with just one person, compared to hours with traditional methods.
2. Higher Accuracy and Precision
TRESTIMA typically achieves under 5% error for main variables when guidelines are followed. Higher sampling density and automatic measurements deliver more reliable results.
3. More Objective – Less Human Bias
The analysis is done by algorithms, not individual judgment. Photos provide full documentation and allow quality control.
4. Easy to Use
Users can be trained in less than one day. The app guides every step, making it accessible for field staff.
5. Excellent Documentation
Every plot is saved with geo-tagged photos. You can review the source images anytime and easily share reports.
6. More Detailed Information
You receive diameter distributions, stem numbers, and better insights for harvesting and product optimization.
7. Lower Costs
Significant reduction in fieldwork time and labor needs makes the overall inventory process much more cost-effective.
Conclusion
TRESTIMA does not replace forestry knowledge — it automates the repetitive, time-consuming, and error-prone parts of plantation inventory work. The result is faster, more objective, well-documented, and accurate data that helps plantation managers make better decisions.
For modern plantation forestry, TRESTIMA offers a clear upgrade over traditional manual methods in both efficiency and data quality.
Ready to modernize your plantation inventories?
