AI Tracking Invasive Plant Species in the UK

From iguanas and pythons in the Everglades to Japanese knotweed and Asian hornets a little closer to home, invasive species are cropping up in places where they’re not welcome. These non-native plants and animals can be devastating for ecosystems. They throw things out of balance, and in many cases, have no natural predators so their populations can grow unchecked.

Invasive plant species are often harder to track and control because they can grow in places that are more difficult for conservationists to reach on foot or with vehicles. Artificial intelligence may be able to fill in the gaps to make it easier to track these pests. How will we see AI employed in the field?

A Growing Threat

One of the biggest threats to U.K. ecosystems is the Japanese knotweed. This invasive plant is related to bamboo, grows just as fast and is the most destructive plant in the U.K. It’s perennial, so not even cold winters can quash its exponential growth, and it doesn’t take long to take over massive stretches of land. Once it puts its roots down, it’s expensive and time-consuming to remove.

Right now, experts estimate that 4-5% of properties have Japanese knotweed growing, and it can reduce the value of a property by up to 10%. A pair of dogs was trained to spot the weed, but it would take the two labradors their entire lives and then some to locate even a fraction of them growing throughout the countryside.

Japanese knotweed may be the most devastating plant in the country, but it isn’t the only non-native by any means. Other species, like sumac, aren’t technically listed as invasive, but they’re still problematic and can upset ecosystems.

Tracking Invasive Species With AI

AI is proving itself to be a valuable tool for tracking the growth of invasive plants. All researchers need is a camera on top of the car, a GPS tracker and a computer with an AI program. Instead of having to identify each plant individually, they just need someone to drive down the road. The camera and program do the rest. Each image is tagged with its GPS location, so if the program identifies Japanese knotweed or other invasive plants, conservationists know exactly where to go to remove them.

This technology is still in development, with trials underway, but early results are promising. In the long term, this could make the job of removing invasive plants a lot easier.

The Future of AI in Conservation

Finding invasive plants in the U.K. isn’t the only potential application for this sort of AI programming. Its use in conservation is nearly limitless. Conservationists around the world are exploring applications for protecting endangered species and possibly even preventing their extinction.

ChimpFace is one use for this technology. It utilizes facial recognition technology to identify chimpanzees in photographs, finding animals being poached and trafficked. LemurFaceID does the same for lemurs and other at-risk primates that are often captured and sold as pets. The technology has its downside, as it’s often difficult and expensive to implement, but it could potentially change the conservation landscape for the better.

The Future of AI Tracking Systems

Artificial intelligence might have a negative reputation thanks to popular culture, but in the real world, it could be a massively valuable asset for conservationists. The ability to sort through massive amounts of data in a fraction of the time it would take a human worker to do the same could save countless lives. This makes it much easier to identify invasive species that need to be removed.