Last year has witnessed many massive wildfires and forest fires around the world, including the Australian bushfires that started in 2019 and continued until March 2020, while the US state of California was also hit by several blazes that left many dead. As climate change intensifies, wildfires are growing more intense.
To temper the effects of climate change and help restore the fire-ravaged forest lands, few young tech companies are planning to scatter seeds from drones. Three of them – CO2 Revolution, Dendra Systems, and Flash Forest, have pledged to plant more than a billion trees through AI and drones. It is expected that aerial drones can plant trees 10 times quicker than a single worker planting with shovels.
These drones are modified to fire rapidly germinating tree seeds into the soil, combining ecological science, software and technology to outperform traditional tree-planting efforts. This comes at a time when augmented reforestation at a global scale is much needed. Moreover, compared to traditional tree planting approaches, this technology is 80 per cent cheaper and utilizes fewer resources.
How does it work?
While there are multiple ways these companies are managing drone-employed reforestation, the core principle remains the same. These heavy-lift drones are usually pre-fitted with a pneumatic firing system. This would allow them to put the planting pods at an optimal depth into the soil. This enables the technology to reach trickier areas where sometimes human planters are unable to enter. Each of these tree pods is handcrafted and they contain at least three pre-germinated seeds, fertilizers, mycorrhizae, and some other elements that will facilitate the growth of a plant.
Even after planting the seeds, the team ensures that they follow up and track the process. They deploy a spraying drone to provide necessary nutrients to the seedlings, along with another drone to keep track of the plants’ growth. Further, in this case, seeds are sprouted even before planting. This will accelerate the growth and result in a robust root system.
These companies believe that technology can help the world attain ambitious goals towards reforestation to stem biodiversity loss and fight climate change.
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