US: Researchers at Boise State University are using drones to map the western Idaho landscape to help mitigate the effects of wildfires. They plan to use the drones to assist in replenishing native plants, such as sagebrush, a major source of food for sage grouse. "The lack of maps is a huge, critical problem for conserving sagebrush and any species — like sage grouse — that depend on it," said Matt Germino, a US Geological Survey ecologist. Scientists want to use drones to identify and map the range of three subspecies of big sagebrush. The most abundant is called Wyoming big sagebrush. Basin big sagebrush is the most drought-tolerant. Mountain big sagebrush, meanwhile, is typically found at higher elevations.
Source: ABC
