Scientific Area
Conservation of cliff plants with the aid of remote collecting drones
ID: 613 / 235
Category: Abstract
Track: Pending
Proposed Symposium Title: Conservation of cliff plants with the aid of remote collecting drones
Authors:
Ben Nyberg1
Affiliations: 1 National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii, USA
Abstract:
Cliff ecosystems often host unique, narrowly endemic plants. Due to the terrain, it is difficult and dangerous to access these areas. Rapidly evolving drone technology has been helpful in developing a deeper understanding of these cliff taxa through efficient aerial survey. Here we present a high-resolution approach to exploration and documentation of plants growing on vertical surfaces. In addition, new drone-based remote collection hardware has been developed for collecting plants from these hard-to-reach areas. This combination of tools has had an amazing impact for the conservation of critically endangered Hawaiian cliff endemic taxa.