Mannheim Lets Trees Speak – Sensors for a Green Future
Mannheim Focuses on Digital Tree Care with TreeSense
Mannheim, with approximately 310,000 residents, is the economic and cultural center of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The city is characterized by its unique grid-pattern street system, its innovative strength, and its strong commitment to sustainable urban development. A central concern: the digitalization of tree care.
In this regard, Mannheim is one of the cities that has already started using digital sensor technology early on to keep urban trees vital in the long term. The collaboration with Smart City Mannheim began as early as 2023, when the first TreeSense Sensors were implemented in Mannheim. In 2024, the project was expanded – currently, around 20 Pulse F Sensors are in use.
Focus on Tree Health: Mature Trees and Environmental Parameters
The project focuses primarily on mature trees. The goal is a detailed vitality assessment that is combined with other environmental parameters such as air quality or soil moisture. At the same time, Mannheim uses the sensor technology to track construction measures – that is, to investigate the impact of construction projects on the health of urban trees.
Soil Moisture Measurement with Watermark Sensors
In addition to the Pulse Sensors, the tree experts have also been increasingly relying on soil moisture sensors since 2024 to optimize the water supply of young urban trees. A total of 12 locations were equipped with two young trees each. Watermark Sensors are used here, measuring at three soil depths (30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm). Thus, a total of 36 soil moisture tension sensors are installed, continuously monitoring the available soil water.
The Sensors are integrated into the LoRaWAN network of MVV Energie AG (MVV), meaning that the digital infrastructure is provided via the MVV Smart Cities Team, while the Parks Department is responsible for the content evaluation. The overall project is coordinated in collaboration with Sven Riffel from MKB Mannheimer Kommunalbeteiligungen GmbH.
Challenges & Solutions
The biggest challenges of the project lay in the coordination between the involved stakeholders. On the one hand, the technical integration had to be ensured – from the LoRaWAN infrastructure to the presentation and interpretation of the data in the TreeSense Cloud. On the other hand, the selection of suitable tree locations required close coordination with the Parks Department.
Close collaboration between us, the Mannheim Parks Department, and MVV has proven to be the key to success here. Currently, the review of the LoRaWAN coverage is particularly important to ensure seamless data transmission.
Initial Findings & Future Outlook
The results so far show that the Pulse Sensors can be seamlessly integrated into existing IT infrastructures. In addition to the specialist evaluation on the TreeSense Cloud, the data is displayed in the MVV dashboard in order to carry out higher-level data analyses with other data sources in the future.
This makes Mannheim one of the pioneers of digital urban greening in Germany. The collected Pulse data is already providing valuable insights to further optimize irrigation. Especially with the 20 mature trees that are currently equipped with Pulse Sensors, it is evident that the trees are in very good condition – a sign of the excellent work of the Parks Department.
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