A Tree Vitality Monitor for the German Railway Network - RailVitaliTree

Tree vitality is a key factor influencing natural hazard-related risks for rail transport, yet it has been little considered in risk models and management concepts. This is primarily due to a lack of reliable tree vitality data along railways. In the project “RailVitaliTree – Tree vitality monitoring and modelling of drought-related risks along railroads with remote sensing and dendroecology”, we are developing a tree vitality monitor for the tree population along Germany’s railway network.

We analyze time-series data – including multispectral satellite images, dendroecological data and climate data – to deepen our understanding of the relationship between climate and tree vitality in the specific microclimate along railways. Based on our findings, we will assess the long-term consequences of drought in a changing climate and its multiplier effects on other natural hazard-related risks. Ultimately, our goal is to enhance the resilience of rail transport to vegetation-related disturbances. Our focus is on the four major tree species in Germany: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), european spruce (Picea abies), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and common beech (Fagus sylvatica).

In this presentation, we outline our initial steps, study sites and methodology. For our retrospective climate analysis, we examine the spatial distribution and temporal changes in drought stress of these four major tree species from 1961 to the present, using the water balance model LWF-Brook90. We also conduct a correlation analysis to explore the relationship between modelled drought stress and observed changes in tree vitality, as indicated by satellite data (based on the ForestWatch Tool: https://forestwatch.lup-umwelt.de/).

Additionally, we present preliminary dendroecological results from our study sites. We compare growth data from trees along the rail with that of trees in nearby forest stands. This analysis ultimately aims to identify potential forest edge effects and evaluate whether trees along the rail are more susceptible to drought stress.