RoofPoll – Automated Pollinator Monitoring on Green Roofs
RoofPoll is an interdisciplinary research project at UFZ that combines sensor technology, camera systems, and artificial intelligence to automatically monitor pollinators on green roofs. The project aims to improve our understanding of urban biodiversity and develop new approaches for continuous ecological monitoring.
Example recording from the RoofPoll monitoring system showing automated tracking of a hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus).
Weekly Pollinator Abundance
Daily updated visualization of weekly pollinator abundance based on camera observations collected on the UFZ research green roof in Leipzig.
The project integrates ecological research with technological and data-driven approaches to enable efficient, long-term biodiversity monitoring. A key aspect is the development of non-invasive monitoring methods: insects are observed in their natural behavior without being captured or disturbed.
- A camera to capture insect activity
- Weather sensors (temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall)
- An on-site computing unit for automated image analysis
The system operates autonomously and uses AI-based methods to detect and classify pollinators directly on site.
- Species and taxonomic groups
- Activity patterns (daily and seasonal)
- Timing of occurrences (first and last observations)
- Frequency and behavior
- Environmental conditions influencing activity
These data provide new insights into the dynamics of urban pollinator communities.
In the coming phases, the system will be further refined, detection accuracy improved, and additional data streams (e.g. acoustic data) integrated.