Loss of biodiversity is happening, period! We can’t afford to sit back and watch life disappearing from the Earth. There must be something, we can do to reverse it. With the help of the latest technologies, we can scale up the action for the preservation of biodiversity. The latest technologies to preserve biodiversity are a combatively novel notion. In this article, I have discussed the top 11 latest technologies to preserve biodiversity. So, let’s get started.
What is Biodiversity and Why it is Important?
In simplest words, biodiversity is the variety of life forms on Earth, including all plant, animal, virus, and bacteria species. Scientists have estimated that more than 8.7 million plant and animal species live on the Earth.
I think nobody would be stupid enough to question the importance of biodiversity. Biodiversity is essential for our existence; it is biodiversity that makes our existence on this planet possible.
Biodiversity provides us with the fresh air that we breathe, fresh water that we drink, and food that we eat.
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Furthermore, additional blessings of biodiversity include medicines, building materials, rubber, clothing, pollution control, carbon sink, nutrient cycling, balance in nature, climate change mitigation, and the list goes on.
Main Causes of Biodiversity Loss
Let’s shed some light on the causes of biodiversity loss. Here is a list highlighting some major causes of biodiversity loss.
- Deforestation
- Urbanization
- Climate change (it is also the effect of biodiversity loss)
- Hunting
- Overfishing
- Overharvesting
- Pollution
- Invasion from alien species
Biodiversity Loss is a Global Concern
The rate of biodiversity loss is unprecedented and shockingly most of the loss is due to human activities.
According to a UN report published in 2019, more than one million species are facing extinction due to human activities, which is roughly one in every nine species on the globe.
Likewise, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) claims that around 10,000-100,000 species go extinct each year.
The 2020 Living Planet Report produced by the WWF and the Zoological Society of London, revealed that between 1970 and 2016, the global animal population shrank by 68% on average.
The declining percentage was 60% two years earlier for the study period 1970-2014. Hence, the declining rate is increasing.
The researchers even go to the extent that they believe, we are in the middle of the sixth mass extinction.
The previously known mass extinctions wiped out more than 60% and 90% of biodiversity respectively. Biodiversity loss has reached an alarming rate but the good news is, it is still controllable if preventive measures are taken. The situation might get out of hand if we don’t act responsibly.
Why Do We Need to Preserve Biodiversity?
You might be wondering, how on Earth, I am going to get affected by the extinction of a monstrous lion somewhere in the Amazon Forest?
Or the extinction of a Marco Pollo sheep somewhere in the mountains of Northern Pakistan. I didn’t even know such a species existed.
Sounds logical right?
I am afraid, you are wrong.
The extinction of any species thousands of miles away from your home might not affect you in the way you expect. It will have a far-reaching impact on the food chain, and interestingly we are a part of the same food chain.
You must have learned about the food chain. The biodiversity on the Earth is related in intricate ways. The survival of one species is tied to the existence of another.
The extinction of a single species sends a shock wave that spreads across the whole food chain.
Antarctic Ecologist Micheal Withington says that If we lose any component from the local ecosystem, then we have cascading effects down the line; not just in this moment, but for years to come.
So, you might get affected in ways you might not have anticipated. Therefore, you have been warned.
How Technology Can Help Conserve Biodiversity?
While new technologies don’t save species, they can certainly help in the assessment and formulation of methods for the preservation of wild species. With the help of technology, we can gather data related to the ecosystem, the analysis of which can help us make informed decisions. Here is the list of the top 11 latest technologies to preserve biodiversity.
Latest Technologies to Preserve Biodiversity
Although there are dozens of the latest technologies to preserve biodiversity, in this article, I have discussed the top 11 most common and effective tools of biodiversity preservation.
1. Crowdsourcing of Data
According to a study published in 2015, protected areas around the world receive more than 8 billion visits each year. These tourists can provide valuable data on biodiversity challenges to conservationists. Smartphone apps make it easier for hikers, indigenous people, tourists, and landowners to monitor and report on biodiversity and their challenges.
As an indigenous community member or tourist, you can take part in this campaign, the next time you visit a place, take some pictures of natural habitat and share them with a repository such as eBird and iNaturalist.
2. Footprint Identification Technique
The technique was developed by WildTrack. It can be used to track the footprint of endangered species using digital images, this eliminates the need of attaching tracking devices to the animals. This reduces interference in their lives.
3. Deployment of Motion-Detection Cameras
The use of motion-detection cameras is gaining popularity. It is triggered when an animal passes by. This technique is especially suitable for otherwise inaccessible areas.
4. Image-Recognition Algorithm
Next in the list of the top 11 latest technologies to preserve biodiversity is the Image-recognition algorithm. The method can be used to automate identification.
An example of an Image-recognition algorithm is the LeafSnap application developed by the Smithsonian in collaboration with Columbia University and the University of Maryland.
The application applies the image-recognition method in the identification of Eastern North American tree leaves.
5. Drones
Preservation of biodiversity starts with surveying them. When it comes to surveillance, a drone is an excellent device. Drones are very handy tools that can be used for many applications and one of them is tracking biodiversity.
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We can use drones to monitor poachers and wildlife. With the help of imagery, researchers can count endangered species and keep track of them. Drones are already used for monitoring penguins, seabird colonies, and black bears to name a few.
They are cost-effective and time-saving alternatives for aeroplanes and satellite imagery. With the help of drones, we can extend our reach to inaccessible and dangerous places.
Having long ranges and high-resolution sensors, drones have become an efficient tool for preserving biodiversity.
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6. Machine Learning
The collected data from drones and other techniques are hard to analyze using traditional and manual methods. It is practically impossible for a person to analyze thousands of images daily.
Thanks to cloud-based computing, we can analyze complex data quickly and accurately.
The first cloud-based computing technology is Machine learning, which can simplify the surveying process. Robust machine learning algorithms can automatically count heads in imagery with high accuracy.
The reliable analysis results can be used to identify endangered species and their distribution.
The accuracy of the analysis can be improved by feeding high-resolution imagery. By feeding high-resolution images to the powerful machine learning algorithm, conservationists can even detect small insects crawling on the ground.
7. Artificial Intelligence
If we hear the term Artificial Intelligence, we instantly think about a robot serving coffee in a fancy restaurant or a robot working in a factory making complex machine structures.
These are typical AI applications, but another less-known application of AI is in the preservation of biodiversity.
The Elephant Listening Project is an example of the application of AI for conservation. With the help of IoT sensors audio data from the African Jungle is recorded.
Then the data is fed to a machine learning algorithm, out of which elephants’ voices are isolated. The data is used in the study of endangered species.
8. The Internet of Things (IoT)
Another Cloud-based technology for the conservation of biodiversity is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT coupled with GPS technology, drones, cameras, and sensors provides real-time location data of the target animals.
Hence, with the help of this technology endangered species are located and they are protected from poaching.
9. Robots and Cyborgs
Usually, energy-efficient solar-powered robots are used for such purposes so that they can travel in the wild without the need for recharging.
A typical solar-powered robot travels at a slow speed and monitors environmental data without disturbing wildlife for months or years.
A conservation robot can monitor temperature, radiation levels, weather, moisture, CO2 levels, and other environmental data.
Along with intelligent robots, cyborgs can also be employed to monitor biodiversity. A microelectronic prosthesis is developed that turns living organisms such as Jellyfish into living sensors.
Or in simplest terms, chips are inserted into an animal’s brain to control its movement. Although, while employing this method ethical issues need to be considered.
These cyborgs can travel at a greater speed than normal living organisms. The cyborg collects real-time data on biodiversity and can also help in monitoring climate change.
10. Satellite Tracking
Satellite tracking has become a prominent technology for several applications such as gathering data on water distribution, glacier melting, land use patterns, weather patterns, forest cover, climate change, and biodiversity.
It is an effective tool to analyze and visualize data on species, particularly in inaccessible locations.
11. Natural Technologies
You might not have heard of the term natural technologies. But that’s what we call diversity. The existing biodiversity can restore the biodiversity if human interaction is minimized.
This is evident in the case of Chernobyl, Ukraine which has recovered remarkably following the 1986 nuclear disaster.
The native fauna took advantage of the dearth of human activities to re-wild the abandoned place.
The natural ecosystems should be made resilient and strengthened by investing in flood control, water conservation, and pollution reduction.
With this, the list of the top 11 latest technologies to preserve biodiversity is concluded. There are limitless possibilities for the protection of biodiversity if there is commitment.
However, there is one important point to remember that is latest technologies only provide up-to-date and accurate information; it is up to us how we respond to it.
Conservationists and governments should use the data and make well-informed and timely decisions to preserve biodiversity.
Conclusion
The current mass extinction is underway and only through timely action, we can halt and reverse the damage. It is the responsibility of everyone to protect the planet. After all, we have only one Earth.
In conclusion, I have good news for you. The World Economic Forum (WEF) states that if businesses start to prioritize nature now, then more than 395 million new jobs will be created by 2030 and around $10.1 trillion in business opportunities will be generated each year.
If timely action is taken to restore the ecosystem, then it would be a win-win situation for us and the environment.