Battling Climate Change with Drone Reforestation Techniques

One of the biggest issues facing the environment is climate change caused by deforestation on an industrial scale. Deforestation itself is the conversion of forested lands to non-forested lands due to logging, pasture, urban use or wasteland. In addition to affecting climate change, deforestation creates ecological and environmental imbalances that result in habitat and biodiversity declines. Several of the primary causes of deforestation include logging, urbanization, fires and agricultural activities.

Drone reforestation is a new solution being utilized to plant a large number of trees in a short period of time. A company called BioCarbon Engineering plans to use drones as they have never been used before - to plant trees on a previously unheard of scale. BioCarbon is developing a drone reforestation system using pods, which are fired into the ground. This allows the drones to plant a large number of trees in a very short period of time. BioCarbon’s drones fly using KDE Direct motors and components.

Drone Reforestation

BioCarbon Engineering was founded by ex-NASA engineer Lauren Fletcher, who believes it should be possible to plant upwards of 36,000 trees a day. This works out to approximately one billion trees a year, which would be a giant leap in the battles against climate change.

• First, drones fly above an area and report on the potential for reforestation
• Next, drones descend two or three meets above the ground and fire out tree pods
• Pods would be loaded with pre-germinated seeds and a nutritious hydro-gel that gives it all of the minerals and moisture needed to get started
• Two drone operators would be handling a number of drones each using automation to help with drone reforestation capabilities
• According to The Independent, 26 billion trees are burned down every year, with only 15 billion replanted. Drone reforestation could help close this gap
• Fletcher believes drone reforestation will cost around 15% of traditional methods

Deforestation has had a large impact on the global environment from soil erosion to floods to wildlife extinction. Global warming and climate change are a few of the large imbalances caused by the effects of deforestation. By planting trees using drone reforestation techniques developed by BioCarbon Engineering large advancements could be made in the battle against climate change. KDE is proud to have our components aboard their reforestation drones.

Do you have an idea of how to grow drone reforestation and help the environment with UAV technology? What other ways can drones be used to help correct ecological and environmental imbalances? At KDE Direct, we’re interested to see the advancement of drone technology to improve the environment.