A presentation on the application of drones for conservation efforts.

1. Drones
Technology to extend conservation efforts
Elaine Lum
Technology Profile Report
BAT 05, Miami University
February, 2015

2. What are drones?
• Also known as
unmanned aerial
vehicles
• Remotely controlled
from the ground
• Uses a camera or
spectral imaging device
mounted on the vehicle
• Used for gathering
images in its flight path
See one in action in the next slide

3. Conservation applications of drones
• Map land changes due
to deforestation
• Monitor illegal
poaching

4. • Track movements
of large animals
• Survey edge effects
along wildlife
corridors
(Koh & Wich, 2012)
Watch a TEDtalk about conservation drones in the next slide

5. Advantages of drones
• Does not require
specialized
knowledge or
complex algorithms
like traditional
remote sensing
techniques
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014)

6. • Much more affordable
than using proprietary
satellite products
Advantages of drones
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014; Koh & Wich, 2012)

7. • Able to gather
information at low
altitudes, therefore not
affected by cloud cover
Advantages of drones

8. • Provides real-time
data that can be
accessed through
mobile devices
(Saleem, Rehmani, & Zeadally, 2015)
Advantages of drones

9. • Unmanned
sampling of
remote areas
cuts down on
required
manpower
and manhours
Advantages of drones
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014; Koh & Wich, 2012)

10. Disadvantages of drones
• Having to share bandwidth
with other wireless devices
means insufficient spectrum
bands (Saleem, Rehmani, & Zeadally, 2015)

11. • Light reflection over water
surface can interfere with
images in aquatic sampling
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014;
Kwon, Yoder, Baek, Gruber, & Pack, 2014)
Disadvantages of drones
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014; Koh & Wich, 2012)

12. • Collisions with
overhanging branches
or other flying objects
may occur and cause
injury
(Tadjdeh, 2012)
Disadvantages of drones

13. • Noise of drone’s
motor may
disturb wildlife
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014)
Disadvantages of drones

14. • Possible privacy
issues if used
inappropriately
(Tadjdeh, 2012)
Disadvantages of drones

15. • Parameters
of sampling
must comply
with FAA
regulations
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014;
Tadjdeh, 2012)
Disadvantages of drones

16. FAA regulations for drones
• Operator must maintain visual contact with
the drone
• Flight path must avoid noise-sensitive areas
• Drones must fly under 122 m. altitude
• Flight control personnel must be notified if
drones are within 4.8 km of an airport
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014)

17. A specific application of drones in
conservation
Problem: Invasive algal blooms negatively
impact biodiversity
How can drones help scientists study this issue?

18. Cladophora: an ecological issue
• Cladophora is a green
filamentous alga that is
an invasive species in
many aquatic systems
• Thick mats of
Cladophora impact
fauna and flora by
blocking out light and
competing for
resources
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014)

19. • Cladophora provides
shelter and nutrients
to pathogens such as
E. coli and Salmonella
in the water, causing
human disease
• Avian botulism is
associated with algal
blooms of Cladophora
Cladophora: an ecological issue
(Lan Chun et al., 2015; Verhougstraete,
Rose, Byappanahalli, & Whitman, 2010)

20. Drone monitoring of Cladophora
• Multi-spectral
sensors
mounted on
drones flew
repeated
missions to
gather data on
Cladophora

21. • Data collected on
growth cycle and
biomass distribution
of Cladophora will
help scientists
predict and control
its spread
• Historical changes of
biomass patterns
can be chronicled
over time by building
an image data base
for future research
Drone monitoring
of Cladophora
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014)

22. Comparing satellite and drone generated maps of Cladophora biomass
Satellite generated map
(Brooks, Grimm, Shuchman, Sayers, &
Jessee, 2015)
Drone generated map
(Flynn & Chapra, 2014)
Which do you think provides more useful information?
Share your thoughts in the Slideshare comments section.

23. References
Brooks, C., Grimm, A., Shuchman, R., Sayers, M., & Jessee, N. (2015). A satellite-based multi-
temporal assessment of the extent of nuisance Cladophora and related submerged aquatic
vegetation for the Laurentian Great Lakes. Remote Sensing of Environment, 157, 58-71. doi:
10.1016/j.rse.2014.04.032
Flynn, K. F., & Chapra, S. C. (2014). Remote Sensing of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in a Shallow
Non-Turbid River Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Remote Sensing, 6(12), 12815-12836.
doi: 10.3390/rs61212815
Koh, L. P., & Wich, S. A. (2012). Dawn of drone ecology: low-cost autonomous aerial vehicles for
conservation. Tropical Conservation Science, 5(2), 121-132.
Kwon, H., Yoder, J., Baek, S., Gruber, S., & Pack, D. (2014). Maximizing Water Surface Target
Localization Accuracy Under Sunlight Reflection with an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, 74(1-2), 395-411.
Lan Chun, C., Kahn, C. I., Borchert, A. J., Byappanahalli, M. N., Whitman, R. L., Peller, J., . . .
Sadowsky, M. J. (2015). Prevalence of toxin-producing Clostridium botulinum associated
with the macroalga Cladophora in three Great Lakes: Growth and management. Science of
the Total Environment, 511, 523-529. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.080
Saleem, Y., Rehmani, M. H., & Zeadally, S. (2015). Review: Integration of Cognitive Radio
Technology with unmanned aerial vehicles: Issues, opportunities, and future research
challenges. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 50, 15-31. doi:
10.1016/j.jnca.2014.12.002
Verhougstraete, M. P., Rose, J. B., Byappanahalli, M. N., & Whitman, R. L. (2010). Cladophora in
the Great Lakes: impacts on beach water quality and human health. Water Science &
Technology, 62(1), 68-76. doi: 10.2166/wst.2010.230