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🌳 From soil to satellites: Monitoring moisture in forests

Jens Isbak

Hi and welcome to this week's newsletter 👋🏻

Here in Denmark, autumn has given way to a winter wonderland, and the forest floor has turned cold and solid ❄️. But the changing seasons won’t stop us from diving into how we measure moisture in our forests.

We've got some fascinating stories this week, from groundbreaking soil monitoring technology to the world's first wooden satellite!

💬 In this week’s issue we'll cover:

Foresting Tomorrow #10: Sensing the earth and the science of soil moisture 🌱
Success story: Japan's wooden satellite heads to space 🛰️
Deep dive: Modern approaches to measuring forest soil moisture 📡
Product update: Enhanced image and file management 📸
Further reading: Sources and insights 🤓

Ready to dive in?🌳

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🎙️ Podcast episode 10: Sensing the earth, one measurement at a time

In this week's extended episode, we explore the fascinating world of soil moisture sensors and their role in modern forestry. From simple probes to NASA satellites, we discuss how different technologies help us understand our forest soils better.

We also cover some interesting side topics:

A brief look at the US presidential election's potential impact on forestry
How dogs are helping detect invasive species
The impressive calorie burn of wildfire firefighters during their shifts

Listen to the latest episode of Foresting Tomorrow here

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📡 From fingertips to satellites: Modern soil moisture monitoring

While foresters have traditionally relied on touch and experience to measure soil moisture, modern technology is transforming this age-old practice. In our latest article, we explore how everything from simple probes to NASA satellites is helping us understand our forest soils better.

Key highlights:

The evolution from manual testing to electronic sensors
How NASA's soil moisture satellite covers the entire Earth every three days
Practical applications for forest management
The balance between precision and practicality in moisture monitoring

📡 Read the full article on soil moisture monitoring here

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🛰️ The world's first wooden satellite launches into space

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In a groundbreaking development, Japanese researchers have successfully launched the world's first wooden satellite. The LignoSat, developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, is now on its way to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX mission.

This small satellite will orbit approximately 400 km above Earth, testing wood as a potential material for space exploration. The team chose honoki, a Japanese magnolia traditionally used for sword sheaths after extensive testing showed its suitability for space conditions.

Read the full story about this ambitious project here 🛰️

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📣 Product update: Even better file management

Need to showcase your forest work visually? Our latest update makes documenting your forest activities easier than ever. You can now add photos and files directly to your maps in Forsler, whether you're:

Documenting the current state of a forest area
Showing completed management tasks
Adding before-and-after comparisons

This improved file management system helps create a better visual record of your forest management activities, making it easier to track changes and share progress with stakeholders.

Watch me demonstrate it here →

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