You are in a lush forest. Sunlight filters through the bright green canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Towering trees rise over delicate ferns, wildflowers, and colorful mushrooms. A deer slinks behind a shrub. But there are subtle signs of human intervention: small electronic devices gathering vital data on potential threats such as drought or pests and transmitting them miles away.
Although technology has long been used to study animals and plants in forests, it’s evolving rapidly—becoming smaller, smarter, and more interconnected. Some devices are so small they can be placed on a single leaf. “For developers of such devices, the forest presents