Ulaanbaatar
Drones Used for Reforestation Efforts in Mongolia
Society
Ulaanbaatar, November 5, 2024 /MONTSAME/. "Oyu Tolgoi" LLC, in collaboration with the Australian startup “Airseed Technologies,” is utilizing drones to distribute seed pods to plant trees for environmental restoration.
The company has been conducting this trial with the startup for two years. In May 2023, they used drones to sow 27,000 seed pods, which contained four types of native conifers and one type of birch tree.
Observations conducted in August 2023 and July 2024 indicate that the seed pods have successfully germinated and started growing, with germination and survival rates varying by trial type. This technology, introduced in Mongolia for the first time by Oyu Tolgoi LLC, has shown potential for expanding reforestation and environmental restoration efforts using drones.
As part of the “One Billion Trees” National Movement, Oyu Tolgoi LLC has committed to planting 100 million trees by 2030. In line with this commitment, the company, along with environmental experts and the “Rio Tinto” mine closure team, is utilizing drones to disperse seed pods and facilitate ecological restoration.
Experiments were carried out in the greenhouse of the Institute of Biology under the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, testing the germination of native Mongolian conifer species. Additionally, a test site was set up last year, to monitor the area that underwent technical rehabilitation in the Yalbag River Valley of Selenge aimag.
