AI-Driven Conservation of the Endangered Twisted Yew (Taxus contorta Griff.) in the Western Himalaya

Conserving the threatened West Himalayan endemic T. contorta (Taxaceae) is critical due to extinction risks from skewed male- or female-only populations. This study employs ChatGPT-driven artificial intelligence (AI) analysis for textual synthesis and preliminary hypothesis generation to identify favorable propagation sites for T. contorta within the Swat district of Pakistan. Over three years (2019–2021), eleven male- or female-only populations of T. contorta were surveyed. Environmental data from NASA POWER were analyzed using ChatGPT 3.5 to predict suitable propagation sites, which were then mapped in Google Earth Pro. PCA and hierarchical clustering were applied to identify key environmental variables. Out of 63 generated points, 58 were accurately located in Swat with 92% geographic accuracy, while species-specific general knowledge accuracy was 100%. All points fell within the pre-established T. contorta spatial range in Pakistan, with 21 unique sites meeting optimal conditions. Field surveys confirmed 16 new populations. These findings underscore the promising role of AI-driven analysis in conservation planning by identifying and supporting habitat restoration efforts. A bidirectional integration of AI and SDM, combined with remote sensing technologies, represents a novel approach for the effective conservation of endangered plant species.