Zutendaal (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Zutendaal, Bosgroep Limburg is testing the 1st CamAlien camera, developed under the ONESTOP project, to detect invasive plants using AI and GPS, led by Jeroen Franssens.
As VRT News reported, in Zutendaal, in the province of Limburg, Belgium, Bosgroep Limburg is testing a new smart camera called the CamAlien, the first project of its kind in Flanders. They mentioned that the camera helps detect and identify invasive plant species that threaten local nature.
When the camera finds an invasive plant, including species like Japanese knotweed or Himalayan balsam, it marks the exact GPS location and sends the data to a central system. This gives forest managers a clear overview of where these plants are spreading.
What makes Zutendaal’s 1st CamAlien project a breakthrough in forest protection?
The project was created under the European ONESTOP program, a partnership between the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), the Meise Botanical Garden, and Aarhus University in Denmark, together with Flemish land managers. Jeroen Franssens, civil engineer at Bosgroep Limburg, said,
“This would significantly speed up the work of forest managers, because currently, it’s all done manually.”
“The camera is mounted on the back of the car and takes thousands of photos during the drive, each time adding GPS coordinates. The Al software then analyses the images and can pinpoint the locations of invasive and exotic species,”
explains Deputy Laura Olaerts (N-VA).
Jeroen Franssens said that removing exotic plant species is key to keeping local forests healthy.
“They crowd out our native trees and plants, while in the long term, we want to convert our forests into native and mixed deciduous forests,”
he explained.
He mentioned that many of these plants spread quickly after being brought in from abroad or planted in gardens. Once they take hold, they compete with native species for light, water, and soil nutrients. Over time, they can change the forest’s structure and reduce the number of native plants and trees.
“Many Flemish forests still consist of monotonous coniferous forests, which are not climate-resilient,”
Jeroen Franssens explains.
“They are particularly susceptible to fire and disease. The ideal forest contains a mix of species and ages. Native shade species such as beech, lime, maple, and hazel can help contain the advancing American bird cherry.”
Researchers said the test in Zutendaal is a major step forward. It is the first time the CamAlien camera system has been tried in a Flemish forest. Until now, it had only been tested along roadsides and waterways, where invasive plants like Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed are easier to spot.
They mentioned that the forest brings tougher conditions, such as low light and thick undergrowth, which make detection harder. The trial will show if the camera can handle those challenges. If the results are positive, the CamAlien could become an important tool for forest management across Flanders.
The OneSTOP project began in January 2025 as a Horizon Europe project for 3.5 years (until June 2028). The project started with a meeting in Ispra, Italy, from January 20-24. The OneSTOP project is connecting European researchers and land managers across Europe, and aims to improve the speed of detection and monitoring of invasive plants.
Belgium already participated in a project that aimed to also identify invasive species using smart technology, called the Biodiversa+ IAS pilot project, which started on December 1, 2023, and will end on December 31, 2027. The project monitors invasive species through images taken on vehicles (cars, trains, and boats) on important transport routes and then uses software to analyse the images for invasive plants that could be threatening to local ecosystems.
