The Use of Drones for Cost-Effective Surveys in Natura 2000 Protected Areas: A Case Study on Monitoring Plant Diversity in Sicily (Italy)

Gianmarco Tavilla (), Alessandro Crisafulli, Pietro Minissale, Valeria Tomaselli and Maria Adamo
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Gianmarco Tavilla: National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), c/o Interateneo Physics Department, 70125 Bari, Italy
Alessandro Crisafulli: Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Pietro Minissale: Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Valeria Tomaselli: Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70125 Bari, Italy
Maria Adamo: National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), c/o Interateneo Physics Department, 70125 Bari, Italy

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, present a cost-effective solution for the swift collection of data from vast and remote areas that are otherwise difficult to access. The Mediterranean Basin, known for being a hotspot for plant biodiversity, hosts several habitats and taxa of significant naturalistic value. However, many of these areas are often inaccessible to botanists, making exploration and research challenging. The aim of this paper is to involve the utilization of drone surveys and open-source software for botanical research. Our primary goal is to show the effectiveness of these tools in the field and demonstrate their practical application in Natura 2000 sites. The protected area chosen for this research is Rocca di Novara, situated in northeastern Sicily. Thanks to our drone investigations, we were able to capture images of a mountainside that is inaccessible to humans. This allowed us to observe the habitat of some species in detail. One of the most fascinating discoveries was the reappearance of Saxifraga callosa subsp. australis , which had not been confirmed in this area for over 140 years. Using drones for botanical research can boost field research, making monitoring easier and more cost-effective over time, especially in Natura 2000 sites.

Keywords: endemic species; landscape monitoring; Mediterranean flora; remote sensing; Saxifraga; vascular flora (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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