The University of Southampton is leading a unique research project that aims to bring back the ancient species Encephalartos woodii from the brink of extinction through artificial intelligence. Dr. Laura Cinti, a research fellow at the University of Southampton, is spearheading the project. She is using drones and AI to search for a female partner for the only known male E. woodii in the Ngoye Forest in South Africa.
The E. woodii plant, believed to be one of the most endangered on Earth, cannot naturally reproduce as all existing members are male clones. This makes it impossible for the species to reproduce naturally. Dr. Cinti’s project aims to bring the plant back through natural reproduction by finding a female E. woodii in the forest using drone imaging and AI technology.
Drone imaging has been used so far to cover less than 2% of the 10,000-acre forest area, with AI algorithms being used to identify plants by their shape. Dr. Cinti explains that the AI is being trained to recognize plants by creating images of plants in different ecological settings to help identify potential female E. woodii. The forest has never been fully explored to determine if a female plant could exist, making this project a groundbreaking exploration of a species on the brink of extinction.
The hope is that through this unique approach, a female partner for the male E
