The occurring issue of deforestation poses serious risks, to ecosystems, biodiversity, and climate

stability on a global scale. Traditional methods of monitoring forests often involve ground
patrols, which are time-consuming,or sometimes the forest is unreachable for the patrols to
monitor, and some places have no monitoring patrol and as time goes by people unaware that
their land has been breached by illegal loggers.

For many years, forest rangers have been battling continuous illegal and unsustainable activities
of people. It is also usually not possible to identify fire or encroachment in distant areas by
ground observations. In overall mountainous terrain, the large forested landscape has little
feasibility for monitoring through ground patrols, mainly during the rainy season or when access
to roads or trails is restricted. There is a great opportunity to effectively manage and protect,
using the potential of operational near real-time monitoring and alert systems through remotely
sensed data regarding forest threats related to fire, road development, logging, and agriculture.
Based on GFW, the country lost 1.42 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2022,
representing a reduction of 7.6 percent in our total tree cover of around 18.684 million hectares.
The said loss resulted in 848 metric tons of C02 being emitted. Similar to the rest of the world,
much of the forests that have disappeared in the country can be attributed to urbanization and
obliteration of forests for commodity needs. Based on the 2022 Forestry Statistics, the
Philippines has around 7.22 million hectares of forest area covering 24.07% of the total land,
which is too far from 17.8 million hectares of forest cover recorded back in 1934. As a matter of
fact, this accounts for the expanse of deforestation our country has faced and the magnitude of
such a threat.

Widespread illegal logging put the municipality of El Nido, one of the Philippines' most popular
tourism destinations, at risk. A confidential report provided to the Protected Area Office in El
Nido dispatched park rangers into the 33-hectare Protected Area in El Nido to investigate the
alleged extensive logging activities on Matinloc Island. Upon arrival, PAO rangers confirmed
that indeed 27 large trees of the Ipil species and five others of different species were cut down
and were being sawn into lumber. Logging and the extraction of all timber products are strictly
prohibited under Philippine law in Protected Areas. It is in this light that the setting up of a
system to detect the illegal logging activity for the sending out of immediate responses by
rangers becomes an important element in addressing the problem.
Often called the "lungs of the planet," forests are essential to life as we know it on Earth. With
over one-third of the world's surface covered by forests (FAO 2020), these ecosystems are
among the most ecologically rich and offer essential goods and services for both the planet and
human well-being. Furthermore, according to Martínez Pastur et al. (2018), forests offer a variety
of vital services, including the regulation of the water cycle, the development and stabilization of
soil, and the control of erosion. As an essential resource, forests are crucial to preserving the
natural balance of the planet. The main causes of deforestation include theft of trees, forest fires,
and legal or illicit tree-cutting. Deforestation on a large scale damages the atmosphere and causes
drought, landslides, flash floods, and global warming, among other problems. Deforestation
represents a substantial concern to the environment, but new technologies such as the Internet of
Things (IoT) may provide creative opportunities to monitor and address this dilemma.

The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has metamorphosed the world and facilitated the
usage of electronic sensors devices in order to control and monitor the environment during
critical times. The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has radically changed the world
through the use of electronic sensors and several such devices for controlling and monitoring
environment at critical situations. These sensors and wireless devices are capable of sensing,
storing and transmitting data to store into logical pools remotely namely a cloud thereby analyses
and presents required data in a way to survive the purpose of the end user (Subhadra et al. 2020).
This information in the cloud is available to different end users provided through an interface for
several mobile applications as per the requirement. Internet plays a major role in this
transformation for an effective, reliable and swift transformation of data from devices to the
cloud and to the end-users (Vikas et al. 2020) The name "Internet of Things" comes from the
notion underlying this prototype, which holds that an end system is made up of several objects or
devices at the host end. The items in question have gadgets that can sense and transmit data
about various parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and pollution levels. When manual
engagement is usually impractical, like in environmental monitoring, the idea of the Internet of
Things is utilized efficiently.

Wireless communication is one domain of incredible growth and has fundamentally changed the
way we link and communicate. From cellular networks to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the technology
underpins our modern world. Elaborate researches have resulted in a huge amount of knowledge
being successfully published in journals and conferences. The major areas attracting attention are
cellular networks, wireless sensor networks, ad hoc and mesh networks, wireless body area
networks, and wireless power transfer. Success metrics for the research impact are conducted
through some parameters such as impact factors, and citation counts. Continuous innovation in
technology is giving way to emerging areas of IoT, AI, and blockchain, transforming wireless
communication.
Illegal logging is one of the major environmental concerns threatening the very existence of
forests globally. It involves unauthorized cutting, harvesting, and transportation of timbers in
most cases against the law, either nationally or internationally. The impact of the practice goes
beyond high levels of deforestation into ecosystem disruption, acceleration of climate change,
and livelihood destruction for indigenous communities reliant on forest resources. Furthermore,
illegal trading in timber undercuts legal markets, promotes corruption, and in many cases serves
as a source of finance for organized crime, perpetuating broader social and economic problems
that go far beyond simple environmental degradation.

There are several meanings for the term “illegal logging.” It is not a phrase used in law that
comes from contracts, laws, or court rulings. Furthermore, it’s not always used as a technical
term by experts. Examples of illicit activities include smuggling, transfer pricing and other
fraudulent accounting practices, harvesting protected species of trees, arson in woodlands,
poaching of wildlife, logging in protected or environmentally sensitive areas, processing forest
products without authorization, breaking environmental regulations, and bribing government
officials. When wood is taken, moved, bought, or sold illegally, it frequently results in illegal
logging (Brack & Hayman 2001, p. 5). Using technology is one way to cut down on illicit
logging. The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype for detecting illegal logging. The
purpose of this project was to develop a prototype for detecting illegal logging. This system
makes use of sound and vibration sensors. (Dirga Chandra 2018) states that the chainsaw is
identified by its sound sensor, while falling trees are detected by its vibration sensor. Within the
fiscal years 2014-2017, there have been 28,951 cases involving illegal logging; 14,829 people
were suspected, and the volume of impounded timber was 59,657 m3. (Forest Fire Prevention
and Control Bureau, Royal Forest Department, 2017)

Illegal logging has continuously taken its devastating toll on world forests. The effects include
deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and fuelling climate change. This creates social conflict with
Indigenous and local peoples, often marked by violence, crime, and human rights abuses. The
ancient forests have evolved over thousands of years to provide unique and vital habitat for
millions of plant and animal species; they are also home to millions of people who depend on
them for livelihood and survival. An estimated 1.6 billion people in the world depend on forest-
based livelihoods, while 60 million indigenous peoples depend on forests for survival.
(GreenPeaceAu, 2022)

Illegal logging has negative effects, which are deforestation and, in turn, global warming. The
loss of biodiversity results in fragile rule of law and enfeebles responsible forest management. It
contributes to corruption at large, causes tax evasion, and results in lost revenue for producing
countries. This limits the potential of such countries in investing in sustainable development. The
economic and social impacts associated with it bear more heavily on the poor and vulnerable.
Millions of dollars in timber revenues are lost annually. (Dar Salaam, 2015)

The Philippines’ attempts to stop deforestation have advanced significantly in recent years. The
government put in place a number of initiatives and regulations to support biodiversity
preservation, sustainable forest management, and replanting. The National Greening Programme
is one such initiative that seeks to plant 1.5 billion trees on 1.5 million hectares of land by the
year 2028. Millions of trees have been successfully planted nationwide thanks to the program,
which has also generated thousands of jobs in the forestry industry. To save its forests, the
Philippines passed a number of laws and regulations in addition to the National Greening
Program. The Community-Based Forest Management Programme of the Forest Management
Bureau is one such law that attempts to include local communities in forest management and
conservation initiatives.

The environmental emergency management system is currently considering the Internet of

Things (IoT) based intelligent environments as an active research area. Additionally, in today's
world, the crucial task of developing a loT assisted system has been developed to manage
emergencies and support various systems during awareness situations.

Nowadays, a lot of people try to use the Arduino because it simplifies things because of the C++
version that is simplified and the Arduino microcontroller (the ATmega328 microcontroller),
which is ready to be programmed, erased, and reprogrammed at any time (Yusuf Abdullahi,
2014). It is advantageous to use the Arduino Uno for illegal logging detection due to its low cost,
ease of use, and high degree of customization. Because of its large community and
comprehensive documentation, Arduino is well-supported and within reach of developers of all
skill levels. Its low power consumption is helpful for remote deployments where solar or battery
power can be used to power it. Because of its modularity, various sensors and communication
modules can be attached with ease, enabling quick prototyping and adaptable designs.

The Philippines is home to about 14,000 plant species. But according to a report by the United
Nations, at least 700 animal and plant species in the country are under great threat. Forests,
which serve as the primary habitat of most of these species, are facing deforestation as well.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, we’re losing
approximately 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year. And that’s a lot. (Jill Chua, 2019)
Satellites and AI, combined with blockchain technology, have become a potent solution against
illegal logging. Drones and UAVs provide real-time surveillance and thus facilitate quick
identification and response against unlawful activities in remote forest areas. Artificial
Intelligence-based forest inventory systems, together with the DNA fingerprinting of timber,
ensure correct identification and traceability of the wood products right from their origin to their
ultimate market. Also, the blockchain provides an immutable record of transactions, which keeps
illegal wood out of the supply chain. Therefore, financial disincentives towards deforestation and
forest degradation can be achieved through empowering communities with advanced monitoring
capabilities and encouraging sustainable forestry approaches for long-term forest conservation
and biodiversity protection.

In this aspect, the use of UAVs, sensors on the ground, and satellite imaging find new
applications in forest surveillance and protection, as well as in wildlife protection. For example,
some uses for the UAVs or drones in nature conservation include territory mapping and detection
of illegal activities, such as logging. The sensor cameras, Trailguard and AmbushCam, detect
poachers and send images back to authorities for additional support. Other monitoring devices,
such as the audio detection devices from Rainforest Connection, enhance monitoring through
real-time alerts on suspicious noises. In contrast, satellite imagery from platforms such as Global
Forest Watch and UrtheCast delivers comprehensive data about changes in forest cover, hence
serving as a strong tool for the detection of deforestation and forest degradation. (Loretta
Cheung, 2015)

To overcome these obstacles, it is crucial to develop monitoring systems. This study delves into
the potential of utilizing an Arduino-based system for real-time forest surveillance and
identifying logging activities. Through the integration of sensors and communication
technologies, the system aims to offer an efficient solution, for safeguarding forests. The
Arduino-based system of detecting illegal logging can potentially reduce most of the illegal
logging activities through real-time monitoring and detection of activities in the place where the
incidence of logging was noted, including sounds relating to chain saws or machineries. This
low-cost solution can be applied by forest management agencies for large remote areas without
continuous physical patrols and can automatically send alerts to the authorities for immediate
response. The assembled system can get information on illegal activities over long periods and,
therefore, map out the trends or areas of illegal activities to instruct the relevant authorities to
apply their resources. Being integrated with GPS, drones, and even satellite imaging, it would
make a holistic approach to forest policing. Even its presence could deter illegal loggers since
detection and prosecution are more certain with the system in place. In the end, it contributes to
sustainable forest management; ecosystem protection, biodiversity, and communities depending
on the forest.

Related Studies
…
According to (Pawar, 2015) forest conservation involves the art of planting and caring for the
forested areas to ensure the benefit and sustainability of such forests for future generations. The
other objectives of forest conservation involve a rapid change in age distribution and species mix
of trees. Conservation of a forest means keeping the natural resources of a forest intact, which is
beneficial both to humans and the environment. These forests are important in human life due to
the numerous resources they avail. They store carbon and act as a carbon sink. They produce
oxygen, which is a must on Earth, and for that reason, was named the lung of the earth. They
help in regulating the hydrological cycle and planetary climate. They purify water. They provide
habitat for wildlife: 50 percent of all species on Earth can be found in the forests. They reduce
global warming. They absorb harmful gases and noise. Reduce pollution. They conserve soil and
mitigate natural hazards like floods and landslides, among others.

Until recently the only definition of forest sustainability was the harvesting of yearly regrowth.
The definition has recently been expanded to include the preservation of the health of the forests
as well (Hennig 1988). Comerford et al. (1994) mentions that when discussing forestry, the term
“long-term” should be defined as three harvest rotations. Morris and Miller (1994) cite that soil
macroelement reserves will generally become depleted after a few rotations at best. But
sustainability should exceed mere exploitation of maximum primary or secondary productivity
available at the moment. Systems ecology must be included, Myers 1993. By applying
hierarchical theory, Giampietro 1994 is able to conclude that life-supporting ecosystems, the
highest system level, must be prioritized for long-term sustainability.

According to a study by Arun Kumar et.al (2016), they employ a near real-time, interactive web-
based forest monitoring system that uses four tiers of geographic information services, mobile
devices for community-based monitoring, and continuous data streams acquired from satellites.
A web-based application and social media are used to convey data on forest disturbances, and
satellite-based disturbance alerts connect with end-user communities to improve ground data
collecting. NRT forest disturbance detection is based on satellite time-series. In collaboration
with local specialists, the system was created utilizing open-source technologies and installed in
Ethiopia's UNESCO-designated Kafa Biosphere Reserve.
The system brings together near-real time, Web-based, interactive forest monitoring, integration
of all Geographic Information Systems, mobile devices for community monitoring, satellite data
streams, and Web-based applications with social media. This system, developed through the
present work, offered an integrated platform for health, disturbance event monitoring,
community engagement, and data sharing. While this is an exciting development, its maiden
testing will be required in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve in Ethiopia along with further
effectiveness research in other types of forest ecosystems, data limitations, and long-term
sustainability.

Vijay Shinde et al. In 2018 studied the IoT System architecture for Indoor and Outdoor
Environment monitoring applications. The developed system contained one gateway with two
sensor nodes. Gateways periodically collect data from sensor nodes and post information online
for analysis and decision-making. Presents a proposed light energy-harvesting power supply
system and an energy management system for long-time deployment of wireless sensor nodes
using solar panels and other electrical components. Rapid population, urbanization, and
industrial growth have ushered in several environmental challenges. Therefore, there is the
utmost importance of environmental monitoring to lighten such environmental issues and give
better surroundings for the creation of a smart city. IoT System for Environmental Monitoring:
Indoor and Outdoor Conditions. (Vijay Shinde et al.2018) Have proposed a system that includes
one gateway and two sensor nodes. It collects readings after very short intervals and posts online
for analysis. A light energy harvesting power supply system was incorporated in addition to
integration to an Energy Management System using Solar Panels and Electrical Components for
long-term deployment. This will be very helpful in responding to the environmental challenges
of rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization through more advanced ways of
environment monitoring and decision-making. While this invention seems promising for the
efficient collection and analysis of environmental data, further research is needed to overcome
some potential limitations related to sensor node reliability, data security, and scalability for
large-scale deployment.
IoT environmental monitoring, therefore, stands among those inventions that go to tremendous
lengths for the purpose of bettering the environmental impacts associated with rapid urbanization
and industrialization. In this system, just one gateway and two sensor nodes offer efficacy
through which data can be collected on both the indoor and outdoor environments at periodical
intervals. The information collected is then sent online for analysis, hence informing decisions.
Such sensor nodes can be supplied with the help of an integrated light energy harvesting power
supply based on solar panels and other electric devices, enabling them to be sustainable for a
long time. The system developed in this way is promising, though some limitation points
regarding sensor node reliability, data security, and scalability of large-scale deployments need
further research. This system can do an enormous amount in environmental monitoring since it
can handle all of the stated challenges, and thus it will contribute to smart city development.
According to a study by Sheikh Ferdoush et al. (2014), wireless sensor network technology has
been showing promise as a workable answer to a number of cutting-edge applications after more
than ten years of intensive research and development. The article, they present the development
of a wireless sensor network system utilizing the open-source hardware platforms, Raspberry Pi
and Arduino. The system is extremely scalable with respect to the number of sensor nodes and
sensor type, and it is thus inexpensive, making it ideal for a broad range of environmental
monitoring applications.
The study is a realized extensible, low-cost wireless sensor network that has been inspired by the
problem statement proposed back in 2014 by Sheikh Ferdoush et al. Based on an opensource
Raspberry Pi and Arduino platforms. It is extensible to many types of sensor nodes; it realized an
environmental monitoring application. By the authors, it was designed to house various sensor
nodes and their types with the design in such a way that the implementation of the Raspberry Pi
is as a base node for collecting, processing, and sending data, while for each variant type of
Arduino board, it was configured as sensor nodes to collect environmental data and send to
Raspberry Pi. As such, these apps provide opportunities for huge scalability, minimum cost, with
some very promising features, so far, for a wide variety of environmental monitoring tasks. Some
possible concerns that this study should include would be energy consumption, data security, and
real-time performance. In addition, deeper analysis with regard to the possibility of its operation
under different environmental conditions would significantly ease its further application.

According to a study by Maryjoise Karla (2014), the Arduino Uno R3 microcontroller, which
serves as the device's brain, is used in the system. Each of the four sensors—which were used to
detect vibration, flame, smoke, and sound—was designed to capture the sound of a chainsaw
cutting trees. These are indicators of the potential for unlawful logging and field or tree burning.
When any of the sensors are triggered, the device's communication system, which employs an
Arduino GSM Module, sends text messages to the remote operators as an alert. The findings
demonstrate that, in the event that any of the sensors are triggered, the device is competent and
dependable in transmitting messages to a remote site operator. The device's fastest mean
detection and message-sending distance was measured at one meter. The chainsaw sound lasted
7.1333 seconds, the flame 10.66 seconds, and the smoke 9.1333 seconds. When tested on smoke
and flame, there is a noticeable difference in the amount of time the device takes to detect the
sound of a chainsaw and be able to send an alarm text message, but not when tested on other
distances. Keywords: sensors, deforestation, forest fire, Arduino controller, and environmental
protection.
It is essential to use cutting edge remote sensing technologies in order to monitor and identify
deforestation effectively. A powerful tool for effective and timely deforestation monitoring and
detection is provided by remote sensing technologies such as satellite imagery (Wieland et al.,
2019; Pulella et al., 2020; Yu et al., 2020), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) (Alonso et al.,
2020; Hansen et al., 2020; Scepanovic et al., 2021), and aerial photography using drones or
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (Chen et al., 2021; Li et al., 2021). High-resolution satellite
imagery and LiDAR data are becoming more widely available, which has made it easier to
monitor and detect deforestation over huge areas and capture precise information about
topography and forest cover (Hansen et al., 2020; Puhm et al., 2020). But conventional image
analysis techniques, including manually identifying deforestation from maps, can be laborious
and have poor accuracy (Li et al., 2021). Therefore, it is not feasible to manually detect
deforestation from vast areas by examining copious volumes of aerial imagery, LiDAR data, and
satellite data. Consequently, in order to determine the deforestation more precisely and
effectively, automated methods have been suggested, such as picture segmentation using deep
learning or machine learning techniques (Bragagnolo et al., 2021). These automated methods
enable the automated identification of deforested areas and the tracking of deforestation patterns
over time by analyzing satellite imagery and other remote sensing data with sophisticated
algorithms (Puhm et al., 2020). Introduce a deep learning-machine-learning system that can
automatically detect deforestation from satellite images and other remote-sensing information.
Therefore, the complex, high-level algorithms put together in the system with huge volumes of
data-handling capabilities can, hence, trace out the highly detailed patterns of deforestation over
time. In doing so, their system really comes close to supremely enhancing these more traditional
methods, which are usually cumbersome, laborsome, and prone to errors. It includes training a
deep learning model using the largest satellite image-labeled dataset and other remote-sensed
data. A model thus trained can actually learn visual cues about changes in land cover or
modification to land-use patterns, or any other key indicator that becomes useful for scientists to
detect new deforested areas. The trained model, therefore, classifies new images and
automatically detects deforestation areas. In fact, is a success system: the deforestation detection
is highly accurate through different regions and scales. They could do it all with strict tests and
evaluation to find that their system was more accurate, efficient, and scalable when placed in
comparison with other conventional systems. However, such a method is not void of its
limitation factors entirely. First, one could point out that the above-mentioned study depends
altogether on good-quality satellite imagery and further remote sensing information, the majority
of which in some parts are not available or not even accessible. The system accuracy might get
affected due to cloud cover, atmospheric conditions, and complexity in the forest landscape.
These challenges notwithstanding, this represents a massive leap forward by the researchers
toward fully automated deforestation monitoring systems and one day should make quite a
difference in the protection and conservation of forests.
A study of Jill Chua in 2019. Narra is one of the country’s national symbols and all for good
reason. Its sturdiness is likened to the Filipinos’ unwavering spirit. Its wood makes a durable
base for a lot of furniture pieces, such as cabinets, drawers, to name a few. In its entirety, the tree
acts as a windbreaker to protect food crops as well. Unfortunately, studies done by the University
of the Philippines Los Baños revealed that there are only “several thousand narra left in the
world”. One of the hardest types of wood is the kamagong timber or “iron wood,” which is also
known for its dark color. It’s also one of the most expensive woods in the market as it‘s native
only to the Philippines. Kamagong is critically endangered as well, but organizations, such as
Masungi Georeserve Foundation, have been making efforts to protect it by planting more
Kamagong seedlings.Because of deforestation, the survival of the Philippine teak is in peril. It’s
a small tree found in Luzon and is often used for firewood. Because of its durability, the
Philippine teak is also used for construction purposes like flooring and paneling. One unique
factor is its ability to “withstand the effects of weathering and insects,” but despite this, the tree
is still endangered. And we have the illegal logging to blame for this. According to the Southeast
Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, the almaciga tree is one
of Sierra Madre mountains’ endangered forest trees. Its resin, a thick substance of a plant that’s
converted to polymer, is used for making varnish, lacquer, incense, paint, and printing ink,
among others. To add, its high-quality resin is known internationally as “Manila copal.”Another
tree that’s also used for house construction is akle, a medium-sized tree commonly found in the
lowland forests of northern Luzon and the Negros islands. It’s also an excellent source for
cabinets because of its color, grain quality, and durability. But like the others, it’s been also
named as an endangered species due to deforestation.

With all the studies mentioned above hence the study aims to create an Arduino-based system
that can monitor forests and instantly identify instances of illicit logging. The goal of the study is
to provide a trustworthy and affordable solution to address the difficulties associated with forest
conservation, specifically with regard to stopping deforestation brought on by illicit logging, by
leveraging the affordability, ease of use, and diversity of the Arduino platform. By offering an
efficient way to monitor and safeguard forest ecosystems against unauthorized activity, this
technology is meant to aid in preserving the endemic trees and all the trees.