Protecting and managing forests with artificial intelligence

Forests in Germany and around the globe are suffering from climate change and the resulting drought, heat and pest infestation. Germany is currently experiencing the largest forest die-off since the 1980s, and in Baden-Württemberg alone, 43 percent of all forest areas have already been damaged. All of this poses major challenges for foresters and those responsible for forest management. They will now get help from a joint project of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT); one of its spin-offs, EDI GmbH; the South German Climate Office; and the KIT Institute of Geography and Geoecology. According to the scientists, research findings could help to counteract the effects of climate change and make forest ecosystems more resilient through targeted measures: "Mixed forests with hornbeam, maple, or wild cherry can cope better with the new conditions than spruce forests, for example – although they are less productive. In plantations, soil conditions also play an important role," says climate researcher Dr. Joachim Fallmann from the South German Climate Office at KIT. "Forest management must now react while making complex trade-offs in the process."