Bayklif2 is designed to build on the initial findings of Bayklif. Among other things, Bayklif explored the fundamentals of understanding climate impacts and developed climate models for Bavaria. Bayklif2 will now feature additional projects spanning various disciplines. The second phase will focus on health, nutrition, water, and biodiversity.

In addition to TUM, the University of Regensburg, the University of Augsburg, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Würzburg are also participating. The researchers presented the projects at the kickoff event on May 11, 2026.

Die Projekte in bayklif2:

• bAImo: A modern insect monitoring system that uses AI and citizen science to draw reliable conclusions about the state of our insect populations in the face of climate change.
• BaySenseAI: Developing a scalable AI platform in Berchtesgaden National Park that combines satellite data and field studies to accurately predict biodiversity in Bavaria.
• ecoBay: Floating autonomous robots are revolutionizing the monitoring of Bavarian lakes by independently collecting genetic samples (eDNA) and assessing the health of the ecosystems.
• HYDROOT:  Explores the hidden foundation of our agriculture—the interaction between plant roots and the soil microbiome—to make crops more resilient to drought and heavy rainfall.
• MEDICUS: Combines urban climate models with environmental medicine to protect particularly vulnerable groups in cities such as Munich and Augsburg from heat, pollen, and pollutants.
• SmartReForest: Develops AI-driven strategies for the reforestation of damaged forests to ensure multifunctional and climate-resilient forest ecosystems for the future.

Emissions, Freshwater, and Root Architecture: Projects Involving TUM in Detail

Prof. Senf and Prof. Rupert Seidl from TUM are participating in the BaySenseAI project. The project aims to develop a platform that can use data from sensors and remote sensing to generate predictions about biodiversity trends on a digital map of Bavaria.

In ecoBay, Prof. Waldvogel serves as project spokesperson. Together with Daniel-André Dücker and Stefan Sosnowski from TUM, as well as Prof. Gert Wöreide from LMU, she is conducting research on biological diversity in freshwater areas as part of this project. For this purpose, work is being carried out at TUM’s research stations in Iffeldorf and LMU’s research station on Lake Ammer. One important aspect is that all three levels of biological diversity are considered: species diversity, ecosystem diversity, and genetic diversity.

Four TUM professors are conducting research on the Hydroot project: Prof. Mutez Ahmed, Prof. Nadia Kamal, Prof. Chris-Carolin Schön, and Prof. Peng Yu. The project aims to identify root traits for climate-resilient agriculture. In their presentation of the project, they outline how their diverse expertise will be combined: Prof. Ahmed will first continue to investigate functional root observation using X-ray micro-CT. Prof. Peng Yu will investigate the plant microbiome. Prof. Schön, who is also the spokesperson for bayklif2, will conduct research to identify the gene segments responsible for root traits. Prof. Kamal will use a multi-omics approach to investigate which genes are expressed under various stress factors, such as drought.

Stefanie Ruf from TUM is participating in the MEDICUS project. The project investigates the effects of climate change on the health of people living in cities. Among other things, climate change increases the likelihood of heat waves, pollen counts, and air pollution. All these factors pose health risks to the urban population. Finally, the project also examines strategies to prevent these negative effects.

Konstantin Gregor from TUM is involved in SmartReForest. The project focuses on the reforestation of damaged areas in Bavarian forests. As a first step, damaged areas are identified and prioritized. This information is then used to create a dashboard for the at-risk areas. The goal is to use this to develop a long-term, successful reforestation strategy in the final step.