Researchers have discovered a brand new plant species, Schiedea waiahuluensis, using cutting-edge drone technology in the remote regions of Kauai, Hawaii. This remarkable finding sheds light on the untapped biodiversity within the Hawaiian Islands and highlights the burgeoning role of drones in advancing conservation efforts. Kauai, the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, is renowned for its diverse and endemic plant life, making this discovery all the more significant.
Unveiling the Secrets of Schiedea waiahuluensis
The newly discovered species, Schiedea waiahuluensis, belongs to the well-studied Hawaiian genus Schiedea, which is part of the carnation family. This genus consists of 36 species spread across the Hawaiian Islands, with 12 species found only on Kauai.
Schiedea waiahuluensis is a remarkable find, as it was spotted growing on the steep, inaccessible cliffs of the Waiahulu region, an area previously unexplored due to its extreme terrain. The National Tropical Botanical Garden’s (NTBG) botanical drone program, in collaboration with Quebec-based Outreach Robotics, played a crucial role in this discovery. The researchers used a custom-designed remote plant collection device, dubbed “the Mamba,” to safely grab, cut, and collect the plant samples for study.
Preserving the Fragile Habitat of Schiedea waiahuluensis
The new species is found only on the dry cliffs of Waiahulu, with an estimated population of around 345 individuals, primarily growing on bare rock surfaces in small pockets of soil. This fragile habitat is under threat from invasive plant species and feral goats, making conservation efforts crucial.
According to the study’s authors, Stephen Weller and Ann Sakai from the University of California, Irvine, “S. waiahuluensis has a combination of traits that would have been very difficult to predict, and upended our notions about diversity in Schiedea, even after decades of research on this genus.” This discovery highlights the potential for future discoveries of native plants across the Hawaiian Islands through the use of drone technology.
Drones: A Game-Changer in Biodiversity Research and Conservation
The discovery of Schiedea waiahuluensis is a testament to the burgeoning role of drones in advancing conservation efforts and preventing plant extinctions. As stated by lead author Warren Wagner, a research botanist at the Smithsonian Institution, “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 Kauai.”
This discovery, following more than 40 years of research on Schiedea on Kauai, demonstrates the vast potential for future discoveries of native plants across the Hawaiian Islands through drone technology. It highlights the importance of leveraging innovative technologies to explore and protect the rich biodiversity of these unique ecosystems.
