With an area of around 243 thousand hectares, the Rhön biosphere reserve is one of Germany’s fourth largest biosphere reserves. Located in the center of Germany, the Rhön is of enormous importance for the large-scale protection of natural and cultural landscapes, considering nature-friendly ways of living and economic action.

On July 23, part of the EO4CAM project team at DFD/DLR and the EORC of the University of Würzburg met with representatives of the Bavarian administration of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Rhön at the management center in Oberelsbach. The meeting was dedicated to presenting the project, but especially to the mutual exchange and discussion of the Bavarian administration’s user requirements for earth observation for climate adaptation. Another focus was on joint research in the Rhön biosphere reserve as a potential pilot region in EO4CAM. Following the meeting, the participants went directly into the forest to visit beech tree sites and discuss the possible consequences of climate change on the stands.