New ways of doing fieldwork in ecology are using technology to help gather and analyze information better. Here are some key methods that are making a big difference:
Remote Sensing: This method uses images from satellites and aerial photos to watch over large areas of nature. It can cover spaces as big as 1,000 square kilometers at once. With remote sensing, scientists can check how healthy plants are and see changes in land use with over 90% accuracy.
Drones: These are flying devices without a pilot on board. Drones can take detailed maps and pictures of places that are hard to reach. They can take pictures from different heights, which helps scientists study how animals and plants are spread out and how habitats are broken up. Drones can also help speed up field studies by cutting the survey time in half.
Environmental DNA (eDNA): Scientists can collect samples from dirt or water to find bits of DNA that living things leave behind. This method is up to 100 times better than older methods at spotting rare species. This helps researchers understand how many different kinds of organisms are present in an area.
Automated Sensors: These tools can keep track of things like temperature, humidity, and soil moisture all the time. Collecting this data over a long time can help scientists see how climate change is affecting the environment, with sensors sharing information every minute.
Citizen Science: Getting everyday people involved in gathering data can greatly increase the amount of information collected. For example, the British Trust for Ornithology’s Nest Record Scheme brought together over 7,000 volunteers, leading to more than 1.5 million records of bird nests!
These new methods are making ecological research more accurate and broad. This helps scientists create better plans to protect nature and its many species.
New ways of doing fieldwork in ecology are using technology to help gather and analyze information better. Here are some key methods that are making a big difference:
Remote Sensing: This method uses images from satellites and aerial photos to watch over large areas of nature. It can cover spaces as big as 1,000 square kilometers at once. With remote sensing, scientists can check how healthy plants are and see changes in land use with over 90% accuracy.
Drones: These are flying devices without a pilot on board. Drones can take detailed maps and pictures of places that are hard to reach. They can take pictures from different heights, which helps scientists study how animals and plants are spread out and how habitats are broken up. Drones can also help speed up field studies by cutting the survey time in half.
Environmental DNA (eDNA): Scientists can collect samples from dirt or water to find bits of DNA that living things leave behind. This method is up to 100 times better than older methods at spotting rare species. This helps researchers understand how many different kinds of organisms are present in an area.
Automated Sensors: These tools can keep track of things like temperature, humidity, and soil moisture all the time. Collecting this data over a long time can help scientists see how climate change is affecting the environment, with sensors sharing information every minute.
Citizen Science: Getting everyday people involved in gathering data can greatly increase the amount of information collected. For example, the British Trust for Ornithology’s Nest Record Scheme brought together over 7,000 volunteers, leading to more than 1.5 million records of bird nests!
These new methods are making ecological research more accurate and broad. This helps scientists create better plans to protect nature and its many species.