Drones take flight in forests: Uncovering the ‘tree’-mendous potential and ‘timber’-rific challenges for German forest managers by applying the technology acceptance model

Abstract

This pioneering study addresses the underexplored topic of adoption of drones by forest managers. Surveying 215 German forest managers from December 2021 to February 2022, the research sheds light on factors influencing intention to use drones. Only 10% of the respondents use a drone for forestry purposes. Users of drones rank the possibility to timely response to calamities as the highest benefits of drone use. Regarding barriers, it was found that lack of technical know-how and equipment were the highest ranked reasons for non-use of drones. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed to analyze the data. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness for forest management is the most influential factor driving forest managers' intention to use drones. The TAM framework explains 43% of the variation in their intentions, indicating its efficacy in capturing the decision-making process. The study's implications are important for policymakers, extension services, researchers, and practitioners. The findings offer valuable insights into the factors shaping forest managers' intention for drone adoption in forestry and highlight the need for addressing technical knowledge gaps and equipment limitations as primary barriers.