Category: Science

The future takes shape through dialogue.

Over the course of three virtual evenings, our six research projects will demonstrate how science helps us understand change and develop new solutions for climate and biodiversity. But research requires dialogue: What concerns us? What solutions do we need? And how do we want to live tomorrow?

Under the motto “Research – Understand – Act Together,” the Climate Serenade brings science and society into dialogue with one another.

The Three Evenings of the Climate Serenade

October 21 | Habitats Under Pressure—From Lakes to Cities

How can we recognize changes in time, and how can we respond to them?

At first glance, a lake and a major city don’t have much in common. However, both are complex systems that are changing under climate stress. To be able to respond, we must measure and understand these changes and develop adaptation strategies based on them.

On this evening, two research projects will bring their perspectives together and show what lakes and cities can tell us about our future.

Register here for free now! (event is in german language)

October 22 | What Sustains Us – Forests, Soil, and Agriculture in the Face of Climate Change

How can we make our landscape more resilient to heat and drought?

Forests, soil, and agriculture are the focus of this evening. Two research projects will demonstrate how our landscape can become more resilient to heat and drought and what approaches researchers are developing to achieve this.

The focus here is also on what isn’t always visible. After all, what we aim to achieve above ground often begins below it.

Register here for free now! (event is in german language)

October 23 | Sensors, Artificial Intelligence, and Citizen Science in Biodiversity Monitoring

How can we protect biodiversity when we are still far from knowing everything about it?

This evening, two research projects will demonstrate how new approaches can help us better assess biodiversity and fill existing gaps in our knowledge.

The focus will be on new possibilities for biodiversity monitoring. Sensors use images and sounds to record the behavior of insects and other species; citizen science complements scientific measurements; and AI helps identify species and close gaps in monitoring.

Register here for free now! (event is in german language)

How is nature in the Alps changing, and what does the climate mean for its diversity? The BR documentary “Unterwegs im Nationalpark Berchtesgaden” follows Prof. Dr. Rupert Seidl of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and forest scientist Alice Peace as they work in the field. Both are researchers in the bayklif2 project BaySenseAI, which is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts.

The film shows just how much hands-on work goes into this research. The two hike up steep, densely wooded trails in the Bavarian mountains, measure trees and check insect traps. They swap out the collection containers along with the attractant and take the captured insects with them for analysis. Along the way, the film also takes in the diversity of the national park and how mountain nature is adapting to climate change itself.

This data is one building block of BaySenseAI. The project aims to build a scalable, AI-based platform that not only documents biodiversity but can also forecast how it will change. It combines audio recorders, camera traps, DNA metabarcoding and Earth observation data from satellites and aircraft, and AI models bring everything together. The work takes place on more than 200 sample plots in the national park, and the BR short documentary shows some of them.

BaySenseAI is led by Prof. Dr. Florian Hartig (University of Regensburg) and by Prof. Dr. Rupert Seidl and Prof. Dr. Cornelius Senf (both TUM).

The documentary is available in the ARD Mediathek (Video in German).

HSWT scientists from the Faculties of Wood and Forestry (group led by Prof. Dr. Christian Zang – Forest and Climate Change) and Sustainable Agricultural and Energy Systems (group led by Prof. Dr. Florian Haselbeck – Smart Farming) came together for two days of cross-faculty, focused collaboration to achieve important progress within the framework of the bayklif2 project SmartReForest.

The goal was the automated capture of image data at regular intervals and its collection on corresponding servers. This high-resolution time series of image data will then be used to derive precise irrigation thresholds. To achieve this, a custom-designed “image data platform” based on Raspberry Pi with connected RGB, near-infrared, and thermal cameras was implemented and put into operation. A further objective was the commissioning of market-available IoT sensor technology.

Results after Two Days

The Raspberry Pi platform is functional, continuously captures image data at regular intervals, stores it locally, and sends an email if problems arise. The image data acquisition is fully automated. The IoT sensor technology has been installed, tested, and is largely operational.

For some final fine-tuning, another one-day hackathon will take place on April 29, during which the thermal camera (delivered by then) will be connected, an alarm function will be implemented, and documentation for users without an IT background will be created. A 3D-printed housing for the proprietary image data platform is currently in development.

Integration into the SmartReForest Project

Sub-project 3 of the project “Smart Solutions for Resilient Reforestation to Secure Essential Ecosystem Services under Climate Change” (SmartReForest) focuses on ensuring the success of reforestation measures. Here, AI-supported monitoring and irrigation systems are being developed based on remote sensing and ecophysiological measurements. The goal is the early detection of drought stress and targeted, efficient water supply to ensure the survival of young plants, avoid pampering effects, and conserve water resources.

In the greenhouse experiments, a total of 100 young plants of a deciduous tree species (European beech) and a coniferous tree species (Douglas fir) are subjected to controlled drying and re-watering. These tree species are typically planted in the Frankenwald study area. From this, irrigation requirement thresholds are derived, and data is conceptualized for AI-based detection of irrigation needs at the individual tree level. The seedlings were potted at the end of March and placed on mobile tables that can be moved outdoors to collect data under field-like conditions and test sensor systems.

Article adapted from https://www.hswt.de/news-list/detail/hswt-hackathon-zur-automatisierten-datenaufnahme-im-projekt-smartreforest | Credit: Gerhard Radlmayr