Remote sensing offers powerful, non-invasive tools to assess biodiversity at Dun Coillich, particularly for tracking reforestation progress, peatland health, and wildlife presence across its varied terrain.
Recommended Remote Sensing Technologies
Multispectral Drone Imagery: Essential for fine-scale habitat mapping. It uses near-infrared (NIR) bands to detect early stress in native woodland regeneration and distinguish between healthy, mature, and declining heather.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): Highly effective for creating 3D models of vegetation structure. At Dun Coillich, it can quantify biomass in native woodlands, map shrub layers, and develop precise hydrological models for peatland restoration.
Thermal Imaging: Useful for non-disruptive wildlife monitoring. Drones equipped with thermal sensors can quickly survey large or wooded areas for deer and ground-nesting birds, providing real-time data on their locations.
Satellite Imagery (Sentinel-2/Copernicus): Provides a cost-effective way to monitor broad landscape changes and vegetation health over time. Recent breakthroughs in Scotland allow for the classification of peatland condition into clear categories using these data.
InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar): Can be used to track subtle ground movements in peatlands, which helps assess the susceptibility of sites to landslides and the success of restoration projects.
Strategic Applications for Dun Coillich
Baseline Establishment: Use high-resolution drone photography to create a detailed UK Habitat Classification (UKHab) baseline, which is more efficient than traditional "boots on the ground" surveys for large areas. (John Cassidy)
Reforestation Tracking: Monitor the growth and "virdancy" of newly planted trees using multispectral indices, which highlight healthy vegetation that appears uniform to the human eye.
Peatland Monitoring: Map bare peat and sphagnum recovery to verify the success of restoration efforts and carbon sequestration.
Invasive Species Detection: Use the unique spectral signatures of plants like rhododendron to identify and target them for removal before they overwhelm native ecosystems.
Complementary High-Tech Tools
To build a complete biodiversity profile, remote sensing should be used alongside other emerging technologies:
Bioacoustics: Use weatherproof microphones to record bird, bat, and insect calls, which are then identified via AI.
Environmental DNA (eDNA): Sample soil or water to detect the presence of elusive or nocturnal species that may not be captured visually.
Camera Traps: Deploy motion-activated cameras for continuous, non-invasive observation of larger animals.