Opening a new era of investigating unreachable cliff flora using smart UAVs

A groundbreaking study reveals the diverse cliff flora of Wulingyuan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in China's mid-subtropical region, using smart unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Analyzing 9200 high-resolution images from 197 cliffs, researchers identified 267 vascular plant species across 140 genera and 58 families, excluding herbaceous plants. The findings highlight unique floristic patterns and morphological adaptations on cliffs, emphasizing the potential of UAS technology for large-scale global studies. This study marks a significant advancement in documenting undisturbed cliff ecosystems, which are considered one of the 'Last Unknown' environments due to their extreme conditions and inaccessibility.

Zhou, H., Zhu, J., Li, J., Xu, Y., Li, Q., Yan, E., Zhao, S., Xiong, Y., & Mo, D. (2021). Opening a new era of investigating unreachable cliff flora using smart UAVs. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 7(4), 638–648. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.214