June 12, 2024

Environment Week 2024 - EOC at Bellevue Palace

On June 4 and 5, 2024, “Environment Week 2024" took place in the gardens of Bellevue Palace in Berlin. There, EOC scientists presented the results of the "Ecosystem Services of Urban Forests" research project, which is supported by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).

The project team presents the results at their stand.
From left to right: Klaus Martin (SLU), Nils Karges (UrbanSens), Andrea Sofia Garcia de León (Universität Würzburg), Tobias Leichtle (DLR), Andreas Bury (UrbanSens).
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Environment Week in the gardens of Bellevue Palace in Berlin
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Visualization of urban trees and their ecosystem services at the digital display table
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The project goal is to use earth observation technology to produce a full coverage, consistent model of the ecosystem services provided by urban trees. By simulating tree growth at the level of individual trees it is possible to derive such values as their annual carbon sequestration, water balance and cooling effects. These results are expected to support sustainable city planning and promote the development of a robust green infrastructure, thereby strengthening urban adaption to climate change. Environment Week was organized by German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and took place in the park of Bellevue Palace in Berlin, in 2024 already for the seventh time. During the two-day demonstration of innovations some 190 exhibitors presented potential solutions for urgent environmental problems. The 12,000 registered visitors also had opportunities for interaction and discussion at over 70 specialist forums.

In the "Ecosystem Services of Urban Forests" project, the Earth Observation Center (EOC) of DLR cooperates with the Institute of Geography and Geology at Würzburg University, the Chair of Forest Growth and Yield Science at the Technical University of Munich, the Office of Expertise for Aerial Photography Assessment and Environmental Questions (SLU), and the UrbanSens company.

12/2021 – 11/2024

Ecosystem services of the urban forest

Urban trees provide diverse ecosystem services to improve climatic and hydrological conditions as well as contribute to climate change adaptation in cities, for example through cooling, shading, carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. In this project, the complete stock of trees in the urban area of Munich will be identified based on aerial and satellite data with very-high spatial resolution, and their structure, dimensions, and environmental parameters will be recorded.