There are about 1.1 billion ha of forest that has not been tampered with by humans. However, Primary Forests has decreased by 81 million ha since 1990. Causes of loss of Primary Forests are; Deforestation, Illegal felling, Development projects, Plantations, and Shifting Cultivation.
WHY DRONES SHOULD BE USED IN FORESTRY
• They are fast.
• They provide more accurate information vs info gathered manually by people or satellites
• They are flexible and diverse.
• It’s the modern way.
USES OF THE DRONE IN FORESTRY
• Mapping: This is also known as aerial surveying and it’s a process where pictures are taken from the camera that is attached to the drone to be later stitched together into a 3D map.
• Boundary Demarcation: This is the drawing of boundaries particularly for states and countries. The drones are used to mark the points from an aerial view that help in drawing the boundary.
• Species Differentiation: Is the process whereby one species splits into two distinct species. The drones can clearly picture species that are in difficult places to access and that are also dangerous in the forest.
• Surveillance: This means close observation especially on suspicious activities or individuals in the forests. In this case drones are used to gather still images and video recordings/ Live video of targets.
• Protection: The action of protecting or the state of being protected. The drone surveys the forest to make sure there are no intruders or fires
• Census: This is a survey conducted on the full set of observations objects belonging to a given population. Drones are also able to discover new parts of the forest or types of forest and species that are in the forest ecosystem.
• Human Animal conflict: This occurs when encounters between humans and wildlife lead to negative results like loss of livelihoods and even life.
• Forest Fire management: Forest fire management is a process of planning, preventing, and fighting fires to protect people, property, and forest resources. Drones can scan large areas quickly and easily identify spot fires that may be a mile from the main fire.
• Mensuration: The part of geometry concerned with ascertaining lengths, areas and volumes. Drones are used to survey from an aerial position and make it easy to determine the ha of a specific area.
• Forest/ Wildlife MGT: This includes management for timber, aesthetics, recreation, urban values, water, wildlife, inland and nearshore fisheries, wood products, plants genetic resources and other forest resources values.
DRONES ARE GREAT BUT CAN BE BETTER WITH THESE FEATURES
• Longer lasting batteries as it is challenging that the drones have to be back at the compound multiple times when observing.
• Water resistant and extreme weather drones in case there is rain or extreme weather.
• Navigation systems for the drone to easily return to base and able to avoid collision.
• The drones should be sturdy and wind resistant for easy use.
VIEW THE FULL VIDEO WHERE MR ARUN KUMAR FROM THE INDIAN COUNCIL FOR FORESTRY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (ICFRE) SPEAKS IN FURTHER DETAIL
