Researchers are embarking on a mission to save the Encephalartos Woodii, believed to be the loneliest plant in the world, from the brink of extinction without resorting to drones and artificial intelligence to find a partner.
The Encephalartos Woodii, also known as E. Woodii, is a species of Cycad – one of the most ancient seed plants on Earth that dates back before the time of dinosaurs. The last known wild specimen of E. Woodii was discovered in the Ngoa forest in South Africa in 1895, leading to the species being extinct in the wild.
All remaining plants of the E. Woodii species are male because the last wild specimen found was male. Scientists are now on a mission to find a female plant to restore the population in a natural way. To aid in this search, researchers are using drones equipped with cameras that can capture light in five different wavelengths to distinguish specific plants and their features in the vast 10,000-acre Ngoa forest.
With over 15,000 images captured in a recent survey covering just 195 acres, the research team is using artificial intelligence to analyze the images and identify potential female E. Woodii plants. Dr. Laura Chinty, the project manager, explained that AI is being employed to recognize the plants in their forms by training the model with images of plants in various environmental conditions.
If the search for a female E. Woodii plant using drones and AI proves unsuccessful, researchers are considering a controversial but potentially lifesaving measure – changing the gender of one of the remaining male specimens. This extreme method, though requiring significant scientific research, may be the last hope to save the species from inevitable extinction.
The potential success of this mission could serve as a beacon of hope in the conservation of biodiversity, showcasing how innovative technologies can help protect endangered species like the Encephalartos Woodii, which has survived on Earth for over 300 million years. Saving the Encephalartos Woodii would be a significant achievement in the battle against species endangerment.