Exploring the Role of ICTs and Communication Flows in the Forest Sector

Abstract

The forestry sector has used technology to improve productivity and increase service quality, reducing labor in many processes. In this sense, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are having broad impacts on the forestry sector, from forestry to the marketing of forest products and the recreational use of forests. There is a wide range of technologies that can be implemented in forestry depending on the needs of each user. The objective of this study was to conduct a literature review in order to analyze the opportunities for improving ICT and communication flows in the forestry sector and to evaluate their applicability. This literature review was analyzed using the Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases. An overview of the importance of ICT and communication flows in the forestry sector, ICT tools, and their applications is provided. One-way and two-way communication flows coexist in forestry, integrating different communication channels, time, target audience, and message. It is clear that technologies have produced significant changes in all sectors of the forestry industry. We conclude that ICTs and communication flows contribute to forest conservation and management in the establishment of standards or policies that ensure conservation through monitoring and analysis of landscapes at different temporal and spatial scales.