Machine Learning Prediction of Tree-of-Heaven US Spread
By Irene Gao
Ailanthus Altissima, also known as the Tree of Heaven, is an invasive species that causes ecological damage by secreting toxic chemicals into the soil and competing with native species. Aside from ecological damages, it also serves as a host plant for numerous pests and insects, including the spotted lanternfly. The challenge posed by the Tree of Heaven necessitates efforts in management. Through this research study, the Tree of Heaven is monitored remotely using satellite images and machine learning. Due to the absence of studies, surveys, and data on the Tree of Heaven in the United States, a survey dataset conducted in Italy was used to train machine learning models along with satellite imagery to predict the spread of the Tree of Heaven in the United States.