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The removal of weeds is a constant battle for both backyard gardeners and Bush Heritage reserve managers. The only difference is that reserve managers often work across vast stretches of land, sometimes more than 200,000 hectares large. So how do we tackle weeds on a landscape scale? We pair on-ground monitoring with the latest technology.
Our staff are exploring what new technology has to offer in the fight against one of the most destructive weeds in Australia: Buffel grass. “Buffel grass is an ecological transformer,” says Eva You, Bush Heritage Spatial Data Officer.
“It can be attributed to the same economic and environmental cost as rabbits, foxes, and cats.”
Eva is utilising AI to test the accuracy of satellite and drone imagery at mapping Buffel grass distribution. In the previous year, Eva attended the 23rd Australasian Weeds Conference in Meanjin (Brisbane) and the South Australia and Northern Territory Regional Buffel Grass Workshop hosted by Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, reporting learnings back to the organisation, and achieved a research grant with Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board to support the continuation of her research. Given the size of many our reserves, it is often impossible for field staff to get a sense of the scale of Buffel grass infestation. Eva hopes that her research will provide them with a clearer picture.
Like Eva, Ella Raymond – completing an internship supported by the Seeding the Future program – is exploring how new technology can detect and map Buffel grass. Using remote sensing technology, she is developing maps to aid land managers and complement on-ground monitoring.
“Reserve maps that show the location of Buffel grass can really help the reserve managers and ecologists in their efforts, and provide an economic addition to the field-based detection and monitoring methods,” says Ella.
We gratefully acknowledge the visionary cohort of philanthropists who support the Seeding the Future Program, with special thanks to the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation who provided substantial funding for the pilot program.
Join host Matthew Taylor and intern Ella Raymond, to hear about her research project focussed on using remote sensing technology to map buffel grass at our Ethabuka and Pilungah reserves in South West Queensland.
