New app monitors forest changes
04/21/2026How can forest changes be recognised at an early stage and informed decisions made for climate-resilient forests? This question has been addressed by a project that is now providing an app for forest monitoring.
At the centre of the "ROOT" project is a digital application that makes current information on forest changes directly available from the perspective of satellites - for example on forest disturbances caused by drought, storms or pest infestations. The Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) is funding the project, in which researchers from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) are involved.
The ROOT Forest Monitor app is aimed in particular at foresters, forest owners and other decision-makers in the forestry sector - but can also be used by interested members of the public. The app was presented in the Steigerwald at the end of March as part of the final event for the project.
App provides a better overview of changes in forests
The app is a digital tool that processes large amounts of satellite data and combines it with other sources such as weather data. The data is processed and continuously updated so that it can be used directly on site - even on a smartphone in the field. Users can subscribe to forest areas, are automatically notified of changes and receive detailed information on the time, extent and suspected causes of disturbances.
In this way, the app supports work processes in the forest and enables better planning of forest inspections and well-founded decisions. "'ROOT' is one of the most successful consortium projects funded by the bidt. Innovative scientific results were achieved in the interdisciplinary network, which were published at a high level and laid the foundation for further projects. At the same time, a software solution was developed that has a concrete benefit for environmental and climate protection in Bavaria and thus corresponds exactly to the bidt goal of shaping the digital transformation in a way that is oriented towards the common good and sustainable," said bidt Director Professor Ute Schmid at the presentation of the Forest Monitor.
An interdisciplinary team from the University of Würzburg
Professor Samuel Kounev, Head of the JMU Chair of Computer Science II, who was responsible for the Software Engineering of the project together with Dr. Nikolas Herbst, also praised the interdisciplinary collaboration. Researchers from biology, earth observation and computer science at JMU, who do not normally work together, had developed a common language for this project. This interdisciplinary cooperation worked surprisingly well: "Because we all had a common, very tangible goal that motivated us: To prepare information in such a way that it offers added value for people who are involved with forests, who work in forests. With the major goal of making a positive contribution to the issue of climate change," says Herbst.
The ecologist involved in the project, Professor Jörg Müller, holder of the JMU Chair of Conservation Biology and Forest Ecology, emphasises the practical benefits of digitalisation: "In the case of our app, digitalisation doesn't just mean that there is data from satellites - it also means that everyone can access it promptly so that they can use it. This is all the more important in the forest."
An opportunity to strengthen the climate resilience of forests
In three years, a project team of around ten people has created a powerful application - despite many mostly technical challenges along the way. At the same time, those involved see the "ROOT Forest Monitor" as a starting point for further developments.
"The app is a valuable tool that fits very well into existing digital solutions - and can be expanded further in the future," says Professor Claudia Künzer from the German Aerospace Centre. Plans include the integration of additional information such as the differentiation of tree species or open interfaces to existing platforms.
A research group of the German Research Foundation at the University of Würzburg is taking the topic further - among other things, it is investigating open research questions from "ROOT" in a broader context and other application scenarios. Continued operation of the application beyond the end of the project is currently being planned.
The project team agrees that disturbances in the forest also offer an opportunity - for sustainable forest reorganisation and thus also to strengthen the climate resilience of forests. Periods of drought, pest infestation, but also storms and, in some regions of Germany, an increased risk of fire are increasingly affecting forests. At the same time, decisions need to be made with a long-term view - because forests develop over many decades.
About the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation
The Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation is an Institute of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. It contributes to a better understanding of the developments and challenges of digital transformation. In doing so, it provides the basis for shaping the digital future in dialogue with society in a responsible and public interest-oriented manner. The bidt promotes outstanding interdisciplinary research and, as a think tank, provides decision-makers in politics and business with evidence-based recommendations. Research at the Institute takes place in an open dialogue between science, politics, business and society.
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