Guwahati, April 10 -- Using machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, scientists have taken a major step toward saving Elaeocarpus prunifolius, a rare and endangered tree species native to Meghalaya.

Their recent study pinpointed the most suitable areas for conserving the tree, offering renewed hope for its survival.

Published in Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, the research team, Viheno Iralu, Dibyendu Adhikari, Krishna Upadhaya, and Hiranjit Choudhury, used AI-powered ecological niche modeling (ENM) to predict regions where the tree could thrive.

The model analyzed occurrence records and environmental factors to create a distribution map, revealing that approximately 8.97% of Meghalaya's land around 201,321 hectar...