The global green agenda has never been more in focus, with the COP 21 conference due to take place in Glasgow, the UK in November 2021 and the United Nations supporting the Paris Climate Change Agreement which compels world leaders to look at the impact of modern life on the natural world and seek ways to reduce the impact of humanity on our planet.
31% of global biodiversity depends on forest ecosystems, making forestry one of the most important aspects of protecting the environment for future generations. And drones in forestry are having a huge impact on managing and protecting areas of forest across the world.
Why use drones in forestry?
Forests cover vast areas of land and are home to many species of plants and animals. Due to the sheer size of many forested areas, monitoring natural changes and nefarious practices can be a painstaking and time-consuming task. The amount of human and machine resources required has traditionally made forest management a tough and expensive task. Manual inspection of forests has been a huge undertaking fraught with danger and with the potential to disrupt wildlife in forests.
The recent introduction of drones in Indian forestry has been welcomed by authorities who are able to monitor from afar and make informed decisions on where and when to deploy the limited resources available, and by the natural world which is afforded the opportunity to develop and grow with less human intervention.
Drones are used in aerial surveillance, mapping, photography, thermal imaging, and topography to provide high volumes of data that allow experts to build an understanding of the current state of forests that is far superior to anything they have previously had at their fingertips. This information can be used to drive conservation schemes, ecology balancing, and many other aspects of forest management.
Benefits of drones in forest protection
Drones in forestry help monitor tree health and track the location and migratory behaviors of wildlife. Traditional methods of tree monitoring involved being on location and manually measuring various aspects of each tree before sending the information to be analyzed. Drones in forestry have not only made the process of collating the necessary data far more efficient, but they have also led to faster, more accurate results.
These results are used to identify the health of trees at tress at the time of monitoring and also to make predictions for the future using artificial intelligence and machine learning. The speed and quality of the data capture are, therefore, crucial in making accurate and timely decisions. The application of drones in forestry also means that, where issues are reported, those areas can be remotely monitored as often as is required without taking resources away from other vital areas of forestry management.
Using infrared imagery, drones provide clear pictures of animal locations, even in the deepest areas of the forest. Detailed information about the movements of wildlife is crucial information in tracking their habitat, spotting potential changes in behavior that may indicate other environmental fluctuations, and deterring poachers. Although still in its infancy, drone technology in forest management has already been successful in identifying and countering threats to endangered species.
- The Oman Forest Department has used two drones to monitor wildlife and prevent illegal activities such as tree cutting, encroachment, and road construction in the Range. The drones are equipped with night vision cameras and fly at heights of up to 250m at speeds of 60mps.
- The Government of Oman has deployed drones to enhance the transparency and credibility of forest governance. It approved the use of drones to track the health of forests, encroachments, tree felling, forest fires, poaching, the status of water bodies, biodiversity protection, and mangrove conservation.
- The Government of Oman has deployed drones equipped with thermal detectors and infrared rays for real-time monitoring of animal movement and to prevent the spread of forest fires. Also, the buzzing sound created by drones at 131 decibels is used to drive away elephants, which normally requires the effort of 50–80 individuals.