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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, December 24 (Xinhua) — Ten years ago, researchers often had to transport heavy equipment across rugged mountains and vast grasslands to monitor biodiversity. Today, a "quiet revolution" is underway: satellites scan from orbit, sensors are mounted on towers, drones fly over treetops, and mobile laboratories travel on the ground.
This multi-layered technological collaboration is changing the way China monitors and protects biodiversity.
"Previously, surveys were mostly manual, limited in scale, slow, and labor-intensive," said Wu Jiyu, director of the Satellite Application Center for Ecology and Environment (SACEE) at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China. "Now our 'Five Platforms' system integrates satellites, drones, towers, mobile patrols, and ground stations. It covers larger areas and operates more efficiently and resiliently," he added.
A VIEW FROM ABOVE
At the heart of this shift is remote sensing, which allows data to be collected without direct physical contact.
Wan Huawei, a specialist at SACEE, not only witnessed this paradigm shift but also played an active role in promoting it. More than a decade ago, her team investigated reports of the spread of the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in southern China. Using satellite imagery and drone technology, they mapped the species' distribution, providing data that helped guide control efforts.
Later, in collaboration with ecologists from Peking University, SACEE applied similar methods to snow leopard conservation efforts. By combining satellite data on terrain and human activity with verified observations, the researchers identified key habitats and assessed their connectivity, facilitating the development of wildlife corridors.
"China's Gaofen series satellites now provide data at a higher frequency and resolution than ever before," said Wan Huawei. "New instruments, such as hyperspectral imagery and lidar, have further expanded our capabilities."
“By combining space, air, and ground-based data, from infrared cameras to high-resolution imagery, we can monitor biodiversity at a wide range of scales, from individual species to entire ecosystems,” she added.
BIODIVERSITY DATABASE
In the grasslands of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China, engineer Wang Yongcai and his colleagues are creating what they describe as one of the most comprehensive grassland biodiversity databases in China. Each summer, he spends about six weeks in the field, documenting grass species, pasture growth, and ecosystem health.
"It's difficult work, but we think it's extremely important," said Wang Yuncai, whose skin is tanned from long hours outdoors.
The objective is to provide dynamic monitoring of pasture growth, vegetation cover and rangeland degradation, including desertification and salinization, allowing for more accurate assessment of rangeland status over time.
To date, SACEE has collected extensive datasets and created a preliminary digital platform on which an intelligent grass species identification system and a pasture parameter inversion system are already operational.
“In pilot areas of Inner Mongolia, the accuracy of plant species identification has exceeded 80 percent,” said Wang Yongcai.
Given that data volume directly impacts database quality and identification accuracy, SACEE plans to build airports with unmanned aerial vehicles in pilot regions. Wang Yongcai added that once completed, the drones will be able to be remotely controlled from Beijing, significantly expanding monitoring capabilities.
INTELLIGENT TOOLS
Technological advances have also transformed field work. Bulky equipment that previously had to be transported to remote areas has been replaced by portable, highly efficient devices, increasing productivity and safety.
Parked outside the SACEE building is a vehicle that looks like a regular SUV, but is actually a multifunctional, eco-friendly mobile patrol vehicle. It has been continuously upgraded since its completion in August 2022. Equipped with independently developed multimodal animal recognition models, it can automatically identify, count, and track wild animal populations. The system has been tested in Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai Province in northwest China, and Shandong Province in eastern China.
In the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, a four-legged robotic "dog" is also assisting in plant diversity research. Controlled remotely, the machine, equipped with a camera, can navigate autonomously, photograph vegetation, and transmit images in real time, significantly increasing efficiency. The mobile platform for grassland biodiversity monitoring developed by SACEE is equipped with a 360-degree camera and can identify key species, including invasive plants and rare or endangered flora, using high-resolution images.
Gao Jixi, Chief Scientist at SACEE, emphasized that the "Five Platforms" system is much more than just a set of monitoring tools. "It is a complex, multidimensional network designed specifically for environmental remote sensing. The system integrates equipment, data, and applications, linking all stages of the monitoring process. Achieving this vision requires broad collaboration and seamless integration of biodiversity data across regions and administrative levels."
“New concepts and technologies are fundamentally transforming biodiversity monitoring,” he said. “Through ongoing efforts, we aim to further enhance our monitoring capabilities and contribute to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.” -0-
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