Abstract Detail

From High Islands to the Ocean Floor: Pacific Island Plants at the Extreme

Extreme Topography: New Tools for Survey, Inventory and Collection in Vertical Cliff Habitats.

Cliff regions are refugia for rare plants. Access to this type of terrain is difficult and dangerous, leaving many of these areas underexplored. Over the past few years, drone technology has been unlocking vertical surfaces for botanical survey. Aerial cameras have helped provide valuable insights into species distribution and abundance, and guided on-the-ground management. Remote plant collection was once wishful thinking, but now it has become a reality. Robotics experts and botanists on Kaua'i have come together to produce a game-changing new tool to collect seeds and cuttings via drone. This stable platform with dual-acutated head can collect from a range of targets from large trees to small herbaceous plants. Extreme environments have driven extreme solutions.

1 - National Tropical Botanical Garden, Science and Conservation, 3530 Papalina rd , Kalaheo, HI, 96746, USA

Keywords:
drone
cliff
Hawaii.

Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Number: S6008
Abstract ID:912
Candidate for Awards:None