TEE Cube

About

The TEE cube project aims to innovatively map ecosystem conditions and extents, addressing the critical need posed by biodiversity loss from land transformation and climate change. Focused on the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany, it will utilize full-time series of multispectral (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel-2) and hyperspectral (e.g., EnMAP, DESIS, PRISMA, HyMAP, HySpex) data to analyze ecosystem dynamics over time. By leveraging Earth System Data Cube technology and AI, the project seeks to revolutionize ecosystem monitoring, combining multispectral indices and plant traits to enhance environmental management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation efforts.

The projected is funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action(BMWK), managed by German Aerospace Center (DLR), and aligns with the goals and objectives of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) agency to showcase of ecosystem extent and condition mapping

Data

Team

  • Chaonan Ji (Postdoc, Earth System Data Science group, Leipzig University) leads the realization of the project. Following her doctoral studies at the German Aerospace Center and Humboldt University in Berlin, she works on an ESA-AI4Science project focused on analyzing vegetation responses to compound extremes using mini cubes and AI techniques. Her expertise includes hyperspectral data mapping, ecosystem responses to climate extremes, and data cube construction.

  • Miguel Mahecha (PI, Earth System Data Science group, Leipzig University) supervises the project. He is a full professor and head of the Earth System Data Science group at Leipzig University. He specializes in the study of ecosystem responses to climate extremes and the human-environment nexus during such events. His work also encompasses macroecological dynamics and ecosystem functioning, utilizing cutting-edge data science methods. A cornerstone of his research is the collaborative use of high-dimensional Earth observations, including the Earth System Data Cube concept. His work links Earth observation (EO) and ecosystem functioning and has strong ties to local institutions such as iDiv, ScaDS.AI, and UFZ, as well as to ESA, where he is a member of the Advisory Committee on Earth Observations.

  • Hannes Feilhauer (PI, Remote Sensing of Geo- and Ecosystems group, Leipzig University) supervises the project. He is a full professor at Leipzig University and an expert in assessing and mapping ecosystem extents and conditions using EO data. Hannes was trained as an ecologist and has ~20 years of experience in combining in-situ and EO data. His work links EO with ecosystem/vegetation communities and has strong ties to local institutions such as iDiv, ScaDS.AI, and UFZ, as well as to the EnMAP Scientific Advisory Group.

  • Guido Kraemer (Postdoc, Earth System Data Science group, Leipzig University) is an expert in big data and data infrastructures.

  • David Montero (PhD student, Earth System Data Science group, Leipzig University) is an expert in remote sensing, data science, and data cube generation.

  • Martin Reinhardt (Postdoc, Earth System Data Science group, Leipzig University) is a mathematician by training, focused on developing new AI methods for Earth system applications.

  • Maximilian Söchting (Postdoc, Earth System Data Science group, Leipzig University) is an expert in data visualization and the creator of the interactive data cube visualization web app “Lexcube."

  • Stefanie Holzwarth (Senior Researcher, Earth Observation Center, German Remote Sensing Data Center) specializes in designing airborne hyperspectral data collocation campaigns, conducting in-situ data collection in national forest parks, and monitoring and analyzing forests. She also serves as the organizer of the Bohemia Forest Data Pool Initiative.

  • Nicole Pinnel (Senior Researcher, Earth Observation Center, German Remote Sensing Data Center) is an expert in hyperspectral data analysis, particularly in relation to the EnMAP satellite. Her work focuses on water-related and forest-related ecosystem analysis.

  • Frank Thonfeld (Senior Researcher, Earth Observation Center, German Remote Sensing Data Center) is an expert in multiple aspects of remote sensing, including land-use change, forests, wetlands, and vegetation analysis.

News and Events

  • 2024.03.01 Project is launched.
Project Ecosystem Monitoring Remote Sensing Hyperspectral Data Plant Traits Data Cube Climate Change AI