Furthering its foray into the domain of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for forest conservation, the Forest department has piloted an identification tool for an invertebrate faunal survey in Mankulam forest division in Idukki.
Developed by the Government Engineering College, Idukki, the AI-based application enabled easy identification of known species of butterflies with a high level of accuracy that relies on a robust image database.
The three-day exercise was conducted recently in association with Thiruvananthapuram-based conservation organisation Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS) to prepare a faunal inventory of the biodiversity-rich Mankulam reserve forests that covers the geographical segment of Lower Periyar Valley to the high ranges of Munnar covering an elevation range of 300-2,600 m.
