Future harvest: what might forest harvesting entail 25 years hence?

A review of current literature offers a basis for forecasting some future trends in forest harvesting. It is likely that major gains will be achieved through closer integration between informatics and harvesting technology. New sensing technology will allow harvesting machines to better optimise both vehicle movements and handling of harvested material, and to provide a comprehensive inventory of the residual stand and of soil data to assist the management of the residual forest. Such speculation about future harvest possibilities is important to foster planning and research. Industry-wide agreement about data protocols could facilitate the development and adoption of new technologies.