Thriving Forests Planted in the '80s in the Harz Show Promise
Extensive hardwood forest established in the Harz region during the 1980s - Harz Forest is Thriving Successfully
The young forest in the Harz, planted towards the end of the 1980s, is faring exceptionally well. Managed by the Lower Saxony State Forests, this mixed forest was a response to the initial air pollution-induced forest dieback. Altenau's district forester, Mathias Weikert, attests that the oldest of these trees can possibly live over 200 years.
For the first time, maintenance work is underway in these forests. Trees with insufficient space have been felled and will be extracted from the forest in the coming days using horses. This extra space will help the surviving trees develop robust trunks, and the harvested wood will be marketed locally.
Deciduous trees replacing spruce
In place of the spruce once prevalent in these areas, approximately 12 million beeches and two million other deciduous trees, like mountain ash, ash, and red maple, were planted between 1987 and 1996. These plantings covered around 6,200 hectares and cost the state 45 million D-Marks.
Though the original spruce served as a shield for the young forest, most have succumbed to the second forest dieback, a combination of drought and bark beetle infestation. As a consequence, the conversion of forests in the Lower Saxony Harz continues. By 2050, the state government aims to have 90% of all forests as mixed forests, as outlined in the Löwe+ program.
- Air pollution-induced forest dieback
- 1980s
Insights:
Forest health and management are essential topics in the Harz region, given the challenges posed by the second forest dieback. Efforts are being made to adapt forest landscapes to these issues, as highlighted by the Löwe+ program, which aims to promote mixed forests by 2050. Climate change and resource management present formidable challenges for German forests as they juggle competing interests of climate protection, biodiversity conservation, and resource provision[3]. Furthermore, forests in drinking water protection areas play a crucial role in maintaining water quality, emphasizing the importance of sustainable forest management practices[1][2].
- The ongoing community policy in the Harz region focuses on the management and preservation of forests, given the challenges posed by the second forest dieback, with the aim of promoting mixed forests by 2050, as outlined in the Löwe+ program.
- In the 1980s, the oldest forest in the Harz, managed by the Lower Saxony State Forests, was planted as a response to air pollution-induced forest dieback, with the oldest of these trees predicted to live over 200 years.
- Employment policies in the region have been implemented to support the extraction and marketing of harvested wood from these forests, creating local employment opportunities while also contributing to the forest's maintenance.
- The oldest trees in the Harz forest, planted in the 1980s, are being replaced by a variety of deciduous trees such as beeches, mountain ash, ash, and red maple, as part of an employment policy initiative that covered around 6,200 hectares and cost the state 45 million D-Marks.
- Climate change, health-and-wellness issues, and the science of environmental protection are all critical concerns for forest management in regions like Saxony, as they strive to balance climate protection, biodiversity conservation, and resource provision, while adapting to challenges such as climate change and the second forest dieback.
