Pedological investigation of site characteristics in planting pits of street trees
Photo: IfB, UHH
Project description
Hamburg's stock of street trees is threatened by structural and climate change. The municipality therefore strives to maintain the character of the "green city" by planting new street trees. However, the success of the planting measures depends in particular on the choice of tree species, the site with its sealing, the tree substrate and the maintenance measures. With prolonged drought, the vitality of the trees is reduced, and in extreme cases the trees die.
The objective of this research is to use in-situ measurements to track water availability of selected young trees, and from this to determine the interactions of the above factors on drought stress. In the root ball, in the planting substrate as well as in the surrounding soil, 13 sensors are installed on each tree, which provide information on water availability every hour.
Employees at the Institute of Soil Science
- Doctoral candidate: Selina Schaaf-Titel (completed, Hamburger Bodenkundliche Arbeiten 95)
- Doctoral candidate: Alexander Schütt
- Engineer: Volker Kleinschmidt
- Duration: 2017 - 2021
- Project lead: Prof. Dr. Annette Eschenbach, Dr. Alexander Gröngröft (retired)
- Sponsor: Behörde für Umwelt und Energie (BUE) der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg