As a follow-up event to our screening of GREEN CITY LIFE, we joined the ICN project “ZUKAMAS: Future-Oriented Climate Change Management for Urban Green Spaces” on a field trip through Freiburg’s institutional district on June 5. Together with more than 20 participants, we learned about the transdisciplinary research project at the Sustainability Innovation Campus, which investigates how urban trees cope with climate change and other urban stress factors.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Seifert, who is one of the PIs in the ZUKAMAS project, provided insights into the living environment of urban trees and the various stressors they face. He also explained different survival strategies trees use to withstand extreme drought and heat, and how these strategies impact tree health. One key factor for a tree’s water balance is how compacted and sealed the soil around its tree pit is. As part of the ZUKAMAS project, dendroecological analyses are being used to identify tree species that can better withstand the rising temperatures associated with climate change.
How urban trees respond to climate shifts is being measured using smart sensors, which were specially developed for the project in collaboration with students. Prof. Dr. Peter Woias demonstrated how these sensors work. Unlike conventional sensors and measuring devices, which are attached to trees and require manual on-site reading, these sensors are equipped with solar cells and transmit their data directly to researchers via the local Internet of Things.
The exchange with the participants also led to lively discussions about what residents themselves can do for the trees in their city and community. ZUKAMAS is also researching ways to raise public awareness about the condition of urban trees. While an informed and engaged population is crucial, so too is the willingness of municipalities to maintain and protect urban greenery—something residents are encouraged to actively demand.
If you’re interested in learning more about the ZUKAMAS project and research on Freiburg’s urban trees, there’s another opportunity coming up: on July 24 and 25, the ZUKAMAS team will host the MobiLab on Platz der Alten Synagoge in Freiburg. The event is not only about sharing knowledge on urban trees, but also about involving local residents in the project and engaging in dialogue with the community.
This excursion was part of VISIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY, an inter- and transdisciplinary research project funded by the Innovation Sustainability Campus (ICN), located at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Non-university cooperation partners include Harmonie Kino, the Volkshochschule Freiburg and Greenmotions. The Freiburg environmental mayor Christine Buchheit has taken on the patronage of the project