Welcome to Lempeș Hill, one of Romania’s biodiversity hotspots and a living classroom for forest management. The story we're about to share is about how we perceive and define the value of forests.
Romania holds a unique position in the European forest landscape. We are home to some of the last remaining primary forests in the EU, a vast network of Natura 2000 sites, and an evolving mosaic of private, communal, and state-managed lands. This complexity comes with challenges—but also opportunities. We can lead by example in building models of multifunctional, inclusive forest management.
At Forest Design, our role is to provide data-driven, digital forestry services. We bring together:
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Remote sensing: using drones and LiDAR to create 3D models of forest structure.
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On-the-ground inventories: using apps and tools to collect detailed tree-level data.
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Spatial analysis: in GIS ecosystems, we simulate management scenarios.
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Training & innovation: developing tools to support decision-making by forest owners, planners, and NGOs.
- Introduction: Welcome to Lempeș
Lempeș Forest, part of the Natura 2000 site ROSCI0055 'Dealul Cetății Lempeș – Mlaștina Hărman', spans approximately 370.9 hectares and is situated near the communes of Sânpetru and Hărman in Brașov County. Importantly, Lempeș Forest falls under strict protection category T1, meaning that no logging or extractive activities are permitted, ensuring the preservation of its ecological integrity. As we stand amidst this protected landscape, it serves as a symbolic setting for our discussion on forest values—monetary versus ecological—and the tools we use to navigate these complex considerations.”
Figure 1 - Location of Lempes Hill Forest
2. The Challenge of Valuation. What Is a Forest Worth?
Standing in Lempeș Forest, it’s tempting to think its value lies in timber, but it is strictly protected. But, then, what its value is?
The money lens
From a classical forestry standpoint, a forest is a portfolio of assets:
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Trees are standing capital, with age classes, increment curves, and market rates.
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Value is expressed in money per cubic meter.
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Decisions are optimized for maximum yield or net present value over rotations.
This is a valid and necessary view—especially for private landowners, rural livelihoods, and national economies. But it is not the only view.
The Ecological Lens
From a conservationist’s eye, value emerges from:
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Structural complexity—standing deadwood, microhabitats, tree species diversity.
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Ecosystem services—carbon storage, water regulation, soil conservation.
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Intrinsic worth—the right of species and systems to exist.
These values are not always easy to quantify. A hollow beech can be home to saproxylic beetles, which are worthless in timber but priceless ecologically.
The Social-Cultural Lens
Let’s not forget the human experience:
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Forests provide identity, recreation, and spiritual connection.
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Urban forests contribute to mental health and climate resilience.
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Forests like Lempeș are community treasures, not commodities.
Value Conflicts in Action
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The trouble begins when these lenses come into conflict:
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A forest planner may propose thinning to improve stand productivity.
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A biologist may object, citing habitat loss for a red-listed species.
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A local resident may care more about scenic views or jogging trails.
Each person is right—in their own logic.
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Precisely mapped (XY coordinates)
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Measured (diameter, height, volume)
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Assessed for both timber quality and ecological features (such as cavities, deadwood, microhabitats, or rare species presence)
Figure 2 - Marteloscope (left) and 3D above view (right)
They are not research plots. They are educational and decision-making tools, designed to simulate real forest management decisions—without cutting a single tree.
This approach is at the heart of the EFI’s Integrate Network, which now includes over 236 marteloscopes in 27 countries. Their aim: to foster dialogue between biodiversity conservation and forest management, in practical, field-based contexts.
At a marteloscope site, participants—be they forest managers, students, policymakers, or landowners—use tablets or field forms to simulate decisions like:
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Which trees to harvest?
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Which trees to retain for biodiversity?
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How will different choices affect economic returns vs ecological outcomes?
Immediate feedback shows the monetary gain, habitat loss or gain, and structural change caused by those decisions.
This hands-on method makes invisible trade-offs visible, and theoretical discussions concrete.
What you see here is not just a map—it’s a point cloud visualization generated from mobile LiDAR scanner. The red grid overlays represent our 1-hectare marteloscope sections, numbered I to IV. Each dot is a tree, labeled with its unique ID, which can also be found painted on the tree.
| Aspect | Manual Measurement | LiDAR & Digital Tools |
| Tree mapping | By hand (compass + tape + sketch) | Georeferenced pointcloud |
| Diameter (DBH) | Measured with caliper | Measured automatically |
| Marteloscope establishment | Rope and spikes, maybe Vertex | Established in GIS based on pointcloud |
| Height | Estimated visually or with Vertex or similar | Extracted automatically from LiDAR model |
| Microhabitat data | Manually recorded in field | Still manual—but linked to precise location |
| Speed | Days to weeks per hectare | Hours (plus processing time) |
| Accuracy & reproducibility | Variable, human-dependent | High, consistent, digital traceability |
This integrated approach saves time, reduces human error, and produces digital twins of forest plots that we can use for:
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Virtual training simulations,
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Growth modeling,
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Biodiversity overlays,
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Long-term monitoring.
Figure 5 - Marteloscope monitoring with LiDAR
💡 Why This Matters for Small4Good
For small forest owners—who may lack the resources or skills to conduct detailed inventories—digital marteloscopes powered by LiDAR offer a cost-effective, scalable, and educational solution. Instead of relying on printed tables, they can walk through the plot virtually, test different management strategies, and immediately visualize the impact on value—economic and ecological alike.
7. Conclusion – A Call for Integrated Thinking
Forests are not just stands of trees. They are repositories of values, both seen and unseen. Today, we’ve walked through a landscape of competing priorities:
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Timber yield vs. species richness
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Short-term income vs. long-term resilience
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Objective data vs. subjective meaning
Forests are more than just timber or carbon—they are places where nature, culture, and economy converge. Through marteloscopes and digital tools like LiDAR, we can now measure trees with incredible precision. But even the most accurate data cannot capture the full meaning of a forest.
At Forest Design, we believe that technology should support—not replace—wisdom. We use digital forestry to empower better decisions, helping landowners and communities visualize trade-offs and explore futures that balance profitability with ecological integrity.
Small4Good has the opportunity to build a community where small forest owners are not left behind, but equipped to act with clarity and confidence.
As we move forward, let us not ask only what we can extract from forests—but also what we are willing to protect. And let’s ensure that every forest, no matter how small, can be managed with the respect that complex living systems deserve.