Drones to map polyphagous shot-hole borer at Joburg Zoo and surrounds
SAXONWOLD – According to Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, a drone will be flown around the zoo to identify and map infected trees.
Residents are warned about drones that will be flying over the Johannesburg Zoo and surrounding areas between 10:00 and 14:00 on February 9.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo has partnered with a team of researchers from the Forestry, Agriculture and Biotechnology Institute and the University of Witwatersrand to identify which trees are infected by the polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB).
The PSHB is a tiny beetle the size of a sesame seed that infects trees and works to kill them through a fungus that accompanies the beetle, which grows in the borer channel. The fungus impacts the tree’s vascular system and inhibits the flow of nutrients and water to the tree.
According to Joburg Zoo, a drone will be flown around the zoo to identify and map infected trees.
According to Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck, this is the first attempt to investigate the applicability of drones to map PSHB infestations in the city.
“The Wits team are exploring the nature of the PSHB infestation and its effect on the City’s trees to come up with better ways of mapping the distribution and spread of the pest to assist in its control,” said Truluck.
The results of this study will be published once it is complete and will be shared with the local community.
ALSO READ:
JCPZ says its too early to classify the outbreak of shot-hole-borer as a disaster
Residents gain insight on the infamous shot-hole borer infecting Joburg’s trees
