Innovative Approaches to Biodiversity and Ecology Monitoring: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Drone Technology

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid advancement of drone technology has revolutionized the field of ecological research, providing unprecedented opportunities for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem health. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors can capture detailed imagery of landscapes, enabling researchers to analyze and interpret ecological patterns at scales previously unattainable. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in processing drone imagery enhances the capability to extract meaningful information, facilitating the assessment of species distribution, habitat quality, and environmental changes. This research area is crucial as it supports conservation efforts, informs policy decisions, and contributes to our understanding of ecological dynamics in the face of climate change.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights into the application of AI techniques in analyzing drone imagery for biodiversity and ecological studies. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between ecologists, data scientists, and remote sensing experts, we aim to highlight innovative methodologies, case studies, and the implications of AI-driven analyses for ecological research and conservation strategies.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• AI Techniques in Image Processing: Studies focusing on the development and application of machine learning algorithms for analyzing drone imagery.
• Biodiversity Monitoring: Research demonstrating the use of drones and AI to assess species richness, abundance, and distribution patterns.
• Habitat Mapping and Assessment: Papers exploring how AI can enhance habitat classification and ecological modeling using drone data.
• Ecological Applications: Case studies showcasing practical applications of drone imagery and AI in conservation, land management, and ecological restoration.
• Data Integration and Analysis: Contributions discussing methods for integrating drone imagery with other data sources (e.g., satellite imagery, field surveys) to enhance ecological insights.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Eben N. Broadbent
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• drone imagery
• artificial intelligence
• biodiversity monitoring
• ecological assessment
• remote sensing
• machine learning
• habitat mapping
• species distribution
• conservation technology
• environmental change