Drones are used to study endangered plant species in remote areas

NIBR announced that it has started using unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”) to study population of Korean endangered wild plants in remote and inaccessible areas.  

It is not the first time to use drones for monitoring population of coniferous trees and observing dead trees, but it is a new approach to apply the drone technology to endangered plants.

NIBR researchers deployed drones to collect aerial footage of Euryale ferox Salisb. ex K. D. Koenig & Sims, Brasenia schreberi J. F. Gmel., Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H. Itô in Nakdong estuary, lagoons of East Sea, and coastal areas on Jeju Island between August and October 2018. The three species are classified as Korean Endangered Wildlife II and NIBR researchers analyzed the drone-captured imageries of the species.

The result shows that 6 populations of Euryale ferox Salisb. ex K. D. Koenig & Sims, are recorded in an area of 1,983㎡, 2 populations of Brasenia schreberi J. F. Gmel., in 24,179㎡, and 3 populations of Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H. Itô, in 1,731㎡. 

NIBR will continue to use state-of-the-art technologies such as drones in biological research to gather more efficient and precise data of Korean endangered wild plants for the conservation and restoration of species at risk of extinction.