A sensor which monitors temperature in slash piles has had extensive testing in forest environments to make it more robust and reliable.  The sensor delivers temperature information via satellite to a smartphone app, giving forest managers time to act to reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion. The industry is very keen on the technology as slash pile heating is an ongoing challenge during and after harvest.

Two new communications networks will be trialled shortly in a bid to overcome some practical problems experienced with the first system. Six new sensors, some satellite and some cellular, will be deployed in forests in both the North and South Islands.

Scientists are also investigating the relationship between slash pile temperature with the weather and have recently installed a weather station right beside a slash pile plus sensor in one forest, with a second weather station soon to be deployed.

Collaborators: Wenita Forest Products Ltd, InFact Ltd