November 13, 2025 (BENGALURU, India) – In a breakthrough for environmental monitoring and precision forestry, Indian researchers have successfully combined drone technology and deep learning algorithms to map and count trees with remarkable accuracy, offering a scalable solution for large-scale ecological assessments.

The study, conducted by scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in collaboration with environmental agencies, demonstrates how aerial drone imagery, when paired with artificial intelligence, can identify individual trees, estimate canopy size, and even classify species in dense forest regions.

Using high-resolution images captured by drones, researchers trained deep learning models to detect tree crowns and differentiate them from other vegetation and terrain features. The AI models achieved over 95% accuracy in identifying individual trees across varying terrains, outperforming traditional manual survey methods that are time-consuming and labor-intensive.

“Our approach drastically reduces the effort needed for forest surveys,” explained Dr. Kavya Rao, lead researcher on the project. “With drones and AI, we can now map hundreds of hectares in hours instead of weeks, providing vital data for reforestation, biodiversity, and carbon tracking.”

The innovation has broad implications for climate change mitigation and sustainable forestry management. Accurate tree mapping is critical for estimating carbon sequestration, tracking deforestation, and guiding reforestation programs — all key components of India’s environmental goals under the Paris Agreement.

“This technology empowers policymakers with real-time data to make evidence-based conservation decisions,” noted Dr. Arvind Iyer, an environmental data scientist involved in the project. “It’s a perfect example of how AI and drones can work hand-in-hand for planetary health.”

The system also supports integration with geospatial databases, enabling authorities to create dynamic forest maps that can be updated periodically. This could help address illegal logging, improve habitat conservation, and enhance the accuracy of national forest inventories.

As drones continue to evolve with better endurance and imaging capabilities, and AI models become more sophisticated, experts predict that automated ecological monitoring will soon become a cornerstone of environmental management worldwide.