scholarly journals Efficient Drone-Based Rare Plant Monitoring Using a Species Distribution Model and AI-Based Object Detection

Drones ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
William Reckling ◽  
Helena Mitasova ◽  
Karl Wegmann ◽  
Gary Kauffman ◽  
Rebekah Reid
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Maxent Model ◽  
Plant Monitoring

Monitoring rare plant species is used to confirm presence, assess health, and verify population trends. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are ideal tools for monitoring rare plants because they can efficiently collect data without impacting the plant or endangering personnel. However, UAS flight planning can be subjective, resulting in ineffective use of flight time and overcollection of imagery. This study used a Maxent machine-learning predictive model to create targeted flight areas to monitor Geum radiatum, an endangered plant endemic to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The Maxent model was developed with ten environmental layers as predictors and known plant locations as training data. UAS flight areas were derived from the resulting probability raster as isolines delineated from a probability threshold based on flight parameters. Visual analysis of UAS imagery verified the locations of 33 known plants and discovered four previously undocumented occurrences. Semi-automated detection of plant species was explored using a neural network object detector. Although the approach was successful in detecting plants in on-ground images, no plants were identified in the UAS aerial imagery, indicating that further improvements are needed in both data acquisition and computer vision techniques. Despite this limitation, the presented research provides a data-driven approach to plan targeted UAS flight areas from predictive modeling, improving UAS data collection for rare plant monitoring.

The Rare Plants in The Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest, Tabanan, Bali

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Nyoman Wijana ◽  
I Made Oka Riawan ◽  
Sanusi Mulyadiharja
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Rare Plant Species ◽  
Illegal Mining ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rare Category

Forests are a source of foreign exchange that has been exploited on a large scale for timber. This exploitation causes a rapid reduction in forest area. Until now, the destruction of the forest environment is still happening, both by illegal logging and illegal mining. This study aims to determine the number of rare plant species in Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest, Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia; and the factors causing the rarity of these plant species. The population in this research is the plant species in Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest. Meanwhile, the social population is all people in the Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest area. The sampling method for plant species is the quadratic method was used to investigate the diversity and the number of rare plants. While for the social sampling was conducted by interviewing with purposive sampling method to the local community around the Alas Kedaton areas. Determination of endangered plant species was conducted by studying of available documents, in-depth interviewing, and seeking information from various existent sources. The collected data analyzed descriptively. The results of this study indicated there are 48 species of plants with 26 families, which are generally found in Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest. Of this number, 42 (87.5%) plant species are included in the rare category; (2) of the 42 species of rare plants in the Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest, there are 8 (19.04%) plant species that are included in the National rare category, 20 (47.62%) rare plant species in Bali, 10 ( 23.81%) rare plant species in Tabanan Regency, and 4 (9.52%) species included in the rare category at the District level (especially Marga District); and (3) factors causing the scarcity of plant species in Alas Kedaton Tourism Forest are (a) past environmental degradation, (b) reproductive problems of rare plants, (c) human intervention, (4) disturbance by animals, especially long tailed monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) and bats (Pteropus vampyrus).

scholarly journals THE MAPPING OF RARE PLANT SPECIES DISTRIBUTION IN MONKEY FOREST, UBUD, GIANYAR, BALI

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
I Nyoman Wijana ◽  
Gede Astra Wesnawa
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Simple Polygon ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Mapping Method ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Rare Plant Species ◽  
Rare Category

The purpose of this research was to know the species of rare plants existing in forest tourism Monkey Forest, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali and their mapping distributions in the original nature. This is an explorative research. The populations of this research were all species of plants in Monkey Forest. This research samples were the plant species covered by the squares. The sampling method used was quadratic method with systematic sampling technique. The mapping of rare plant species distribution used simple mapping method which was simple polygon compass and GPS. Identification of rare plant species was conducted through interviews, questionnaires, observations, and document studies. The results showed that the distribution of rare plant species in Monkey Forest, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali was in groups. The total number of rare plant species their nature were 33 species with the details that there were as many as six species of plants belonging to the National Rare category, 18 species of Bali Rare category, eight species of Regency Rare category, and one species of Rare Sub-District category.

scholarly journals Phytorarity of Chernihiv region in M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Alla Gnatiuk ◽  
Rak Oleksandr ◽  
Viktoriia Gritsenko ◽  
Mykola Gaponenko
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Pteridium Aquilinum ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
National Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Rare Plant Species

Increasing anthropogenic pressure, global climate change, and the lack of large introduction centers in the Chernihiv region makes it important to preserve rare species of flora ex situ outside this administrative region. The article presents the results of the study of taxonomic composition and evaluation of the success of the introduction of rare plant species of Chernihiv region in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The study of rare plant species and the development of methods for their effective reproduction was initiated in the NBG in 1970 in a separate section “Rare plants of the flora of Ukraine.” It is established that the collection grows and protects 57 phythorarites of Chernihiv region, of which 29 species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (III edition), and 28 species – in the “List of regionally rare plant species of Chernihiv region”. Most plants successfully recover ex situ with moderate care or without additional human intervention. The biomorphological spectrum of introduced plants is dominated by cryptophytes (50.88 %) and hemicryptophytes (42.11 %), the shares of phanerophytes, hamephytes and therophytes are insignificant. 17 species of phythorarites formed stable homeostatic populations. Of these: 5 species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (Allium ursinum, Crocus reticulatus, Epipactis helleborine, Galanthus nivalis, Pulsatilla pratensis) and 12 species – in the “List of regionally rare plant species of Chernihiv region” (Aster amellus, Corydalis intermedia, C. marschal, Daphne mesereum, Equisetum hyemale, Iris hungarica, Phlomis tuberosa, Primula veris, Pteridium aquilinum, Scilla bifolia, S. sibirica, Vinca minor). Thus, the cultivation of almost a third of the phythorarites of Chernihiv region in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden testifies to the effectiveness of their preservation ex situ.

scholarly journals Predictive Habitat Modeling of Rare Plant Species in Pacific Northwest Forests

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Buechling ◽  
Claudine Tobalske
Keyword(s):  
Random Forest ◽  
Maximum Entropy ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Calibration Data ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Habitat Models

Abstract Certification requirements associated with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative include efforts to identify and protect occurrences of endangered plant species. Habitat models were constructed in this study using maximum entropy and random forest algorithms to generate independent predictions for four selected rare plants, Castilleja chambersii, Erythronium elegans, Filipendula occidentalis, and Sidalcea nelsoniana, associated with divergent physical environments. Explanatory variables used to model rare plant occurrence included Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus spectral imagery, spectral-based vegetation indices, climatic data, and several terrain variables derived from a digital elevation model. Models were trained with known occurrence records obtained from the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center. Subsequent field surveys were conducted to acquire randomly located test data for comparative model evaluation. A range of accuracy statistics was computed that indicated generally high prediction accuracy for both methods. Model performance was highest for species with narrow, well-defined ecological requirements at scales comparable to the resolution of the calibration data. Species with relatively broad ecological distributions or with extremely specific habitat requirements were less accurately predicted. Random forest-based models generally produced higher rates of prediction success than maximum entropy when model performance was limited by the ecology of a species. Field surveys identified 22 previously unknown populations of the target rare plants, suggesting the efficacy of habitat models for predicting rare species occurrence and their utility as a prescriptive tool for land management planning.

scholarly journals Conservation ecology of rare plants within complex local habitat networks

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Crain ◽  
Ana María Sánchez-Cuervo ◽  
Jeffrey W. White ◽  
Steven J. Steinberg
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Rock Outcrops ◽  
Rare Plant Species ◽  
Conservation Targets ◽  
Rare Plant Conservation

AbstractEffective conservation of rare plant species requires a detailed understanding of their unique distributions and habitat requirements to identify conservation targets. Research suggests that local conservation efforts may be one of the best means for accomplishing this task. We conducted a geographical analysis of the local distributions of rare plants in Napa County, California, to identify spatial relationships with individual habitat types. We measured the potential contribution of individual habitats to rare plant conservation by integrating analyses on overall diversity, species per area, specificity-weighted richness, presence of hotspots, and the composition of the rare plant community in each habitat type. This combination of analyses allowed us to determine which habitats are most significant for rare plant conservation at a local scale. Our analyses indicated that several habitat types were consistently associated with rare plant species. In broad terms, grasslands, oak forests, coniferous forests, wetlands, serpentines, chaparral, and rock outcrops were most consistently highlighted. No single habitat stood out in every analysis however, and therefore we conclude that careful selection of an assemblage of habitats that best represents diverse, restricted and unique rare plant communities will be the most efficient approach to protecting rare plant habitat at local scales. Accordingly we present a means of identifying conservation targets and protecting global biodiversity through local efforts.

scholarly journals Data quantity is more important than its spatial bias for predictive species distribution modelling

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willson Gaul ◽  
Dinara Sadykova ◽  
Hannah J. White ◽  
Lupe León-Sánchez ◽  
Paul Caplat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Species Distribution Modelling ◽  
Prediction Performance ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Spatial Bias ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Distribution Modelling ◽  
Modelling Method

ABSTRACTBiological records are often the data of choice for training predictive species distribution models (SDMs), but spatial sampling bias is pervasive in biological records data at multiple spatial scales and is thought to impair the performance of SDMs. We simulated presences and absences of virtual species as well as the process of recording these species to evaluate the effect on species distribution model prediction performance of 1) spatial bias in training data, 2) sample size (the average number of observations per species), and 3) the choice of species distribution modelling method. Our approach is novel in quantifying and applying real-world spatial sampling biases to simulated data. Spatial bias in training data decreased species distribution model prediction performance, but only when the bias was relatively strong. Sample size and the choice of modelling method were more important than spatial bias in determining the prediction performance of species distribution models.

scholarly journals New chorological data on some threatened and rare plants in Serbia

2007 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordana Tomovic ◽  
Snezana Vukojicic ◽  
M. Niketic ◽  
D. Lakusic
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Rare Plant Species ◽  
Red Data Book ◽  
Data Book ◽  
Threatened Status

We present the distribution of 10 threatened or rare plant species in Serbia based on field research and herbarium and literature data. These taxa are mapped on 10 x 10 km2 UTM grids. The following taxa are analyzed: Crepis nicaeensis Balbis, Lamium hybridum Vill., Lathyrus inconspicuus L., Kitaibela vitifolia Willd., Lindernia palustris Hartm., Veronica dillenii Crantz, Cyperus pannonicus Jacq., Milium vernale Bieb., Epipactis microphylla (Ehrh.) Swartz, and Epipogium aphyllum Swartz. For each species, the IUCN threatened status in Serbia is given; on the basis of these estimates it is proposed that eight plants be included in the next edition of the Red Data Book of the Flora of Serbia.

scholarly journals Floristics of Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve: a Piedmont mafic woodland complex in Halifax County, Virginia, U.S.A.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 481-519
Author(s):  
John F. Townsend ◽  
J. Christopher Ludwig
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Natural Area ◽  
Swell Potential ◽  
Area Preserve ◽  
Conservation Concern

The 331-hectare (819-acre) Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve (DCNAP) was established in Halifax County, Virginia to protect and manage habitat for rare vascu-lar plant species and animals, and to restore plant communities. Mafic metavolcanic rocks of the Virgilina Formation and felsic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Aaron Formation comprise the geologic units on the preserve. The Virgilina-derived soils have high shrink-swell potential, a dense hardpan layer, relatively high base status, and a significant gravelly or stony component; these soil conditions support the highest density of rare plant species known on the preserve. The first noteworthy vascular plant species were documented from the property in 1972 by botanist Alton Harvill of Longwood University, but detailed investigations of the flora did not begin until the site was revisited by the second author in 1993. Rare plant inventory has been the primary focus of botanists since that time. In 2001, the property was acquired by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage (DCR) and dedicated as a state Natural Area Preserve, at which point active management for natural communities and associated rare species was initiated. Since the rare plants on site thrive in open woodland or savanna-like conditions, prescribed burns and timber harvests have been used by DCR stewards to restore habitat after decades of fire suppression and conversion of hardwood stands to loblolly pine plantations. In 2018, a thorough floristic study was initiated to highlight the significance of this flora beyond the documentation of rare plants. The two-year inventory documented 653 plant taxa, comprising 326 genera in 106 families. Fourteen of these species are of conservation concern at the global or state level; an additional 12 taxa are considered uncommon and of potential conservation concern (Townsend 2019). These rare or uncommon species are components of two globally rare plant communities. In addition, the globally rare lepidopteran, Erynnis martialis (Mottled Duskywing), occurs on the preserve, the only extant population known in Virginia. Due to agricultural impacts and widespread fire exclusion, few analogs to this flora exist within the southern Piedmont of Virginia.

Translocation of rare plant species to restore Garry oak ecosystems in western Canada: challenges and opportunities

Botany ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 283-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Clements
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Rare Plants ◽  
Rare Plant ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Rare Plant Species ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Covering just 2000 ha, Garry oak ecosystems (GOEs) in western Canada contain about 10% of the Species at Risk Act listed species at risk in Canada, including 30 plants listed by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as endangered. Since European settlement ca. 1840, GOE sites have been largely degraded by human disturbance, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, overgrazing, and fire suppression. A key strategy to mitigate this loss of biodiversity is to translocate rare plants to GOE restoration sites. The Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team provides advice on proposed translocations but strongly encourages restoration practitioners to focus on plant populations already present on a site. There is a need for a closer look at challenges and opportunities afforded by translocation. If the approach taken is too precautionary, some rare species in this highly threatened ecosystem may be jeopardized. Current translocation efforts are being spearheaded by Parks Canada for golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta Greenm.), seaside birds-foot lotus (Lotus formossimus Greene), and white-top aster (Aster curtus Cronq.). Translocations like these together with further research on the genetics and ecology of rare plant species are critical to species recovery efforts within GOE and other similarly compromised ecosystems.

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