Wetland Monitoring with UAVs: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Potential, Benefits, and Limitations

Wetlands, vital ecosystems known for their biodiversity and role in water purification, are under immense pressure from human activities. Traditional monitoring methods, often reliant on ground surveys or satellite imagery, can be time-consuming, expensive, or limited in the detail they provide. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as a powerful alternative, offering a rapid, cost-effective, and high-resolution approach to wetland monitoring. This article comprehensively evaluates the potential of UAVs in wetland assessment. Various applications, including wetland mapping, vegetation characterization, water quality monitoring, and identification of invasive species, are explored in this article. The technical considerations for UAV platforms, payloads, and data acquisition strategies are addressed, along with a discussion of the limitations associated with UAV use, such as regulations, flight time restrictions, and data processing challenges. We compare UAVs to traditional methods, highlighting their advantages in accessibility, precision, cost-effectiveness, real-time data provision, and flexibility. Finally, a case study showcasing the application of UAVs in real-world wetland monitoring is presented. This article concludes by emphasizing the immense potential of UAVs to revolutionize wetland monitoring. By providing detailed data on wetland health, vegetation cover, water quality, and other key parameters, UAVs can significantly empower researchers, conservationists, and policymakers to develop effective strategies for wetland management and preservation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Wetland Monitoring ، UAVs ، Remote Sensing ، Environmental Monitoring ، Wetland Health