FluBioKI

The decline of insects has reached threatening proportions. The recording of insects in their habitats, especially of rare species, has so far been based primarily on manual monitoring methods. Many species are sometimes overlooked due to their cryptic lifecycles. In the innovative monitoring approach being pursued, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is used to illuminate an area to be mapped with a fluorescence-stimulating light source and photos are taken. The species are identified from the photos using AI image recognition. This will initially be tested using the example of grasshoppers (Orthoptera) and caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and then transferred to other insect species and spiders. As a result, all existing species should be recorded more completely. The spatial distribution of the species in turn provides information on small-scale differences in habitat characteristics. Both open land areas and forest edges are considered. The new FluBioKI monitoring approach contributes to the development of conservation measures by recording biological diversity and thus supports the goals of the research initiative.

In the first phase, the project pursues the in-depth development of a concept and the preparation of an application for a second phase, which focuses on the implementation of the aforementioned objectives. In addition, initial scientific work will be carried out in the project to allow an effective and rapid entry into a possible second phase.