The secret world of microbes in treetops

Plants on our planet form a surface area with their leaves that is twice the size of the entire land surface of the globe. This surface is intensively colonized by microbes, especially bacteria and fungi, which can be very useful for plants, but can also harm them as pathogens. But how do these microbes get onto the leaves, what do they live on there and how does their composition change from spring to fall? Very little research has been done into these questions, especially for tree crowns. We use the treetop crane in Leipzig's alluvial forest to explore this unknown habitat at a height of up to 35 meters.
Come with us on a (virtual) journey into the world of microbes in the treetops.