AI software set to prepare forest inventory in 6 territorial divisions
In order to record different species of trees and shrubs in the forests, the state government is all set to create e-count software based on artificial intelligence (AI) in six out of the 45 forest territorial divisions across the state.
Nurpur Forest Division is one of the six identified forest divisions where the process of preparing AI-based e-count software had started in April last year. A number of workshops have been organised, jointly by the Forest Department and Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali (Punjab), here to sensitise field personnel division during this period. The ISB has signed an agreement with the state Forest Department for the forest inventory pilot project.
As per official information, the state government has sponsored this AI based e-count pilot project in Nurpur, Palampur, Ani, Dehra, Nachan and Paonta Sahib Forest Divisions. The e-count software will not only prepare a database of the different species of trees and shrubs but also record forest wealth with its value. The database will assist the Forest Department in formulating its future strategies to enhance the afforestation process but also assist in eliminating forest weeds like lantana that have invaded many forests in the hill state.
After developing the database, the Forest Department will get the exact count, value and volume of the species of trees and shrubs, along with photographs. Nurpur Divisional Forest Officer Amit Sharma told The Tribune that the ISB had been engaged by the state government to develop AI based e-count database and the experts of the ISB had sensitised the field employees of the Nurpur Forest Division such as forest guards, range officers and block officers by organising workshops here.
The DFO said as per requirements of the ISB, the spectral signatures of different forest species like chir, bamboo, eucalyptus, amla, wild mango, khair, kali basuti and lantana camara were prepared and sent to the ISB. “The spectral signature comprises different photos of a plant species for different parts from different areas. This is the unique characteristic feature to be used to identify and classify objects in remote sensing applications and it can be used to distinguish vegetation from bare ground,” he said.
He said the Forest Department field personnel would now conduct field verification of spectral signatures by visiting the spot using geo locations through an app to ensure that the species actually existed on that particular spot.
