Abstract

Autonomous drones have emerged as transformative tools in environmental surveying, offering rapid, cost-effective, and high-resolution data acquisition across diverse ecosystems. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) integrate advanced sensing technologies, such as LiDAR, multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal imaging, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to enable real-time data processing and autonomous navigation. Their ability to operate in remote, hazardous, or otherwise inaccessible terrains significantly enhances monitoring of biodiversity, forest health, water quality, wildlife habitats, and environmental hazards. In forestry applications, autonomous drones support deforestation tracking, biomass estimation, and canopy structure analysis. In aquatic environments, they facilitate water pollution detection, shoreline mapping, and coral reef health assessment. The integration of autonomous path planning allows drones to optimize flight routes, minimize energy consumption, and ensure comprehensive coverage of survey areas. Furthermore, AI-driven image recognition enables accurate classification of species, detection of invasive plants, and monitoring of seasonal vegetation changes. Environmental disaster management also benefits from UAV deployment, as drones provide rapid situational awareness during floods, wildfires, oil spills, and landslides, aiding in both immediate response and long-term recovery planning. Compared to traditional surveying methods, autonomous drones reduce labor intensity, human error, and operational costs while increasing data accuracy and temporal resolution. Despite their advantages, challenges remain, including regulatory restrictions, limited flight endurance, weather dependency, and the need for skilled operators for mission planning and data interpretation. Emerging solutions such as solar-powered drones, swarm intelligence, and improved onboard AI are expected to enhance operational efficiency and autonomy. As technology advances, autonomous drones will play an increasingly critical role in environmental science, supporting conservation efforts, climate change studies, and sustainable resource management. This evolution aligns with global priorities for environmental protection, offering unprecedented capabilities for comprehensive and continuous ecosystem monitoring.