Wald death in Hesse: Forester fight against tree death!

Wald death in Hesse: Forester fight against tree death!

Königstein im Taunus, Deutschland - The forests of Hesse face major challenges. Förster Sebastian Gräf recently led interested parties through the area on a forest trip to Königstein in the Taunus and showed the visible effects of the progressive tree death. Kahle crops and clearings marked by drought and pest infestation testify to the worries about the forest areas. But something is happening: young trees grow back to fill the gaps.

Gräf relies on nature rejuvenation. This method uses the power of nature by promoting the growth of naturally germinating trees. The aim is to establish a stable mixed forest that includes both leaf and coniferous woods. In various forests, a diverse mix of birch, spruce, booking, boar asch and Douglasia has already developed, which is supported by foresters to avoid the dominance of a single tree species. In addition, thousands of grape oaks were planted on a former Christmas tree plantation that develop well thanks to sufficient precipitation.

The extent of the tree death

While Hessen is fighting with the afforestation, similar developments are observed throughout Germany. A comprehensive long -term study has clearly shown that man -made climate change is responsible for tree death. Massive tree deaths in the Black Forest and in the Harz Lower Saxony, where two thirds of the spruces have already died, make it clear to us how serious the situation is. High temperatures and low precipitation promote the dying rate of the trees considerably; While only two to five percent of the trees die in one year, it was scary 40 percent in recent years, as can be read on Tagesschau.de

The vulnerable trees that suffer from dryness and heat are particularly susceptible to the vigorous bark beetle, which also accelerate the tree destruction process. Climate change makes summer hotter and drier, which further increases the risk of tree death. On the other hand, science relies on two approaches to save the forest: Waiting for self -regeneration or actively promoting the reforestation with heat -resistant tree species.

reforestation measures in Hesse

In Hesse, over 22 million trees have been planted since 2018. At the end of May 2023, more than a million trees were set on a good 500 hectares, and further plantings are also planned in autumn. More than 20 tree species are used in this RESULLATION, including grape oaks, Douglasia and white fires as well as noble trees such as ahorne and cherries, as Hessen-Forst spokesman Moritz Frey reported.

The rapid recovery of the forests seems to be slowed down by the recent rainfall. It remains to be seen whether the measures are sufficient to make the forests climatic. Försterm Melvin Mika from Langen also relies on nature rejuvenation and has implemented larger oak seed this year. The hope for the survival of the forests remains, even if the challenges are enormous. Despite all the bad news, there is space for optimism: with a well -mixed forest population and carefully planned reforestation measures, the return to healthy forests could succeed, maybe better than nature alone.

The situation is alarming, but humans have the potential to bring about positive changes if they show a good knack for reforestation and consistently drives the measures. The forests in Hesse are more than just a collection of trees; They are an indispensable part of our ecosystem and earn our full attention, especially in times of climate change.