Rico, Andres, and Kent Larson. Technology Roadmap: The Internet of Forests. Self-published, 1 Oct. 2023.

Abstract

We present a technological roadmap for building the Internet of Forests (IoF). The IoF is a large scale sensor network along with machine intelligence infrastructure that will be used to monitor key variables within the Amazonian rainforest. By understanding rainforest environments, we can help communities better manage their resources and activities, create systems that optimize natural resource use by corporations and governments, improve environmental health and enhance forest resilience. The collected information can be analyzed to gain insights into the health of a forest’s biome and to trigger warning signals that can aid towards its protection. The IoF platform will provide important information as well as essential real time data to preserve forests and its biomes perpetually.

The report introduces a five phase technological roadmap for building infrastructure that will allow for the monitoring of thousands of Amazonian rainforest hectares. The mixture of technologies allows for acquiring insights at different scales and granularity. The proposed sequence balances trade offs that stem from technological readiness of devices, as well as granularity and scalability. We describe different types of sensing mechanisms and the specific technology development trends that could enable them along with possible limitations that they could have. Additionally we outline futuristic developments that would become possible as the IoF gains traction and significant technological milestones are reached. Lastly. we describe how integration of the five phases can allow the IoF to become a holistic source of information that contains granular environmental, social and economic information that can be ultimately used for the continuous preservation of the rainforest.

It is important to highlight that this ambitious technological roadmap would require the integration of numerous commercial products and services, plus targeted innovation to provide new capabilities.