Digital Forest
A real-time forest monitoring system
for climate change impacts

01.03.2021-31.08.2024

In the project "Digital Forest" project, an interdisciplinary research team used novel data acquisition and analysis techniques to investigate the impacts of the extreme drought of 2018/2019 on the Hainich National Park. The drought period had profound, long-lasting effects on our study site altering growth patterns, increasing mortality, and reducing its ability to absorb CO₂.

Our research has shown that:

Drought reduces forest carbon uptake:
Under water scarcity, forests are absorbing less CO₂, impairing their climate protection function.
(Link to work package 1)


Advanced monitoring techniques can track drought stress in real time:
Using innovative tools like sap flow sensors and dendrometers, researchers are gaining a differentiated understanding of how single trees respond to drought stress.
(Link to work package 2)

Drought impacts tree structure: particularly branch length and the amount of fine branches are declining, indicating subtle, but significant changes beyond visible tree mortality.
(Link to work package 3)

Advanced remote sensing and machine learning models provide new opportunities for forest monitoring: These innovative tools can accurately predict forest productivity under drought conditions, enabling better adaptation strategies to climate change.
(Link to work package 4)