Can the life of trees be monitored?

Together with the Agrarian and Technological Institute (RUDN), Emil is engaged in research on the urban environment. Especially for the green space-monitoring project, he developed a website, a platform that allows selecting a particular tree with a sensor installed and studying the properties of the plant: sap flow parameters, vegetation index, and overall condition. Both scientists and ordinary citizens will be able to track the monitored trees.

Emil did authorization for the website, developed the user system and the admin panel. This contribution made the system’s programming interface more accessible and user-friendly.

We addressed questions to Emil to figure out, is it realistic to understand the language of trees?

Once the website launches, everyone will be able to register and track the health of the trees where scientists have previously deployed an online monitoring network?

Yes, that is right. After the launch of beta testing, users will be able to register and conduct their own tracking of tree quality parameters. A mobile application for the second direction of the project is in development now; it is visualization and forecasting of wind fields, with notification of the user about the predicted strong winds, for example.

What happens to the data on the server?

Data from the sensor installed on the tree are collected, accumulated, and “poured” into the database on a continuous basis with an update interval of about an hour. With the help of the RUDN server, this data is displayed on the graphs on the website in real time, with the possibility of setting time intervals. By default, the data for the past 2 weeks are recorded.

What happens to the data then, what kind of information is displayed on the site?

The data of the common database have many parameters. There are key data, such as the identifier of the device and the date of collection of readings, by which the display on the site occurs. Therefore, when you click on the details of any device (tree), the server performs a request with the ID of the selected device and the user-defined period. In response, it receives all the readings for the specified period for the specified device and builds a graph on the site.

Are you planning to analyze the data?

Yes, in the future we plan to use different methods of parameter prediction, such as the use of machine learning.

How is tree condition automatically monitored?

Based on the processing of collected tree parameters, the tree condition parameter is determined, which has three gradations: good, average and bad. This parameter for each tree display on the site, allowing this “semi-automatic” mode of control.

How many sensors, “three talkers” have been installed so far?

More than 150 sensors throughout Moscow, mostly concentrated in groups in key territorial units whose administration allows them to cooperate with them. Among them are such objects as the territory of the RUDN campus, the Botanical Garden, Timiryazevsky Park, Troitsk, and others.

Why is it so important to monitor the condition of trees and promptly prevent problems related to green spaces?

People’s lives can depend on the condition of trees. Remember, how dry and rotten trees fall in a hurricane, quite often resulting in tragic accidents. An online monitoring network and website will minimize these risks while addressing tree care issues and assessing the damage caused by man.