THE ENVIRONMENT

AI Meets Conservation: The Tech That Could Change How We Protect Forests

Scientists are using smart tech to listen to forests, track climate threats in real time, and predict changes before it’s too late

Silvia PM, PhD - Climate Ages

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Published in

The Environment

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5 min read

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Mar 11, 2025

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Image created by Author with CANVA

I remember the first time I tried to track changes in a forest over time. It was during a field project in the countryside, where we were trying to understand how a protected area was faring against deforestation and climate change.

We had satellite imagery, field surveys, and even bioacoustic recorders set up to capture animal activity. But no matter how much data we collected, it was never enough to see the whole picture. By the time a problem was obvious, it had already happened.

That’s the challenge with forests. They’re always changing, but the signs of stress (e.g. rising temperatures, drying soils, or pest outbreaks) can be slow and difficult to track with traditional methods.

Now, a group of researchers is changing that. They are using artificial intelligence and advanced sound analysis to monitor forests in real time and predict their future health.

The goal? A future where forests, in a way, monitor themselves.