During a recent drone survey of the Waiahulu Valley on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, a team of botanists photographed an enigmatic plant growing on the steep, rocky cliff faces.
The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) researchers were intrigued to find out exactly what the flora was, but to make a conclusive identification they needed a physical sample. How would this be possible in such a precipitous landscape?
The answer, it turns out, was to employ 'The Mamba', a specialised robotic device suspended below a drone, designed to grab, cut and collect plant material in vertical cliff habitats.
The mission was successful, and with the specimen back in the lab, it became clear that they had discovered a new species of flowering plant from the Schiedea genus. They named it Schiedea waiahuluensis.
The team, who published their findings in PhytoKeys, say it is likely this is the first plant to be identified and collected with the help of drone technology. The work highlights the growing role of drones in advancing conservation efforts and helping to prevent plant extinctions, not only in Hawaii but around the world.
A rare find
Schiedea waiahuluensis belongs to a well-known group of Hawaiian plants in the genus Schiedea, which now includes 36 species, 12 of which are found only on Kauaʻi – one of the most north-westerly islands in the Hawaiian archipelago.
This new species, with its green or whitish-green flowerheads, is found solely on the dry cliffs of the Waiahulu Valley in the Waimea Canyon, where an estimated 345 individuals cling to life, growing in small pockets of soil on bare rock.
The name Schiedea waiahuluensis refers to the Waiahulu cliff region where it grows.
Why is the discovery important?
The discovery, following over 40 years of research on Schiedea in Kauaʻi, demonstrates the immense potential for drone technology to uncover new native plant species across the Hawaiian Islands. It also underscores the growing role of drones in advancing conservation efforts and helping to prevent plant extinctions.
Warren Wagner, lead author and research botanist says that “the new development of the NTBG drone program provides a major new tool in biodiversity research that has allowed for better assessment of species distribution and status, as shown by drone missions on the inaccessible cliffs of the major canyons on Kauaʻi.
"It has revealed populations of species presumed extinct, such as the recent rediscovery of Hibiscadelphus woodii, mapped populations of Schiedea waiahuluensis, and collected seeds via drone for establishment of a conservation collection of this species.”
With invasive species and feral goats threatening the fragile habitat of Schiedea waiahuluensis, conservation efforts are critical to its survival, say the researchers, who plan to undertake more surveys to further assess the plant's distribution and conservation needs.
Find out more about the study: Schiedea waiahuluensis (Caryophyllaceae), an enigmatic new species from Kaua'i, Hawaiian Islands and the first species discovered by a drone collection system
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