AI and 8 million digitized plant specimens reveal how the climate is changing nature in large parts of the world
Researchers are using machine learning to analyze 8 million digitized plant specimens from global herbaria to track climate change impacts. This project combines centuries-old botanical collections with modern AI to identify shifts in flowering patterns.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the power of AI in accelerating scientific discovery by processing massive historical datasets that were previously inaccessible.
by Frid Kvalpskarmo Hansen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Humans are still needed, but AI can help scientists create order in the large species collections housed in museums. Credit: Kew Madagascar, Jeff Eden AI optimists will be encouraged by a recent report on the state of the world's plants and fungi by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The report examines the role that digitization and AI are playing in botany and nature management. Four hundred researchers in 40 countries contributed to the report, including scientists from NTNU.
James Speed, a professor of plant ecology at the NTNU University Museum in Trondheim, was one of the contributors to the report.
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