A wintry walk through the Ebersberg Forest. The snow falls, your feet sink deep into the white powder. You quickly forget everything else and lose yourself in nature, which is precisely why the forest is so important as a local recreation area. A group of foresters, forest owners and students are not only here on this winter’s day because the forest is just so beautifully presented for Christmas. Rather, they wildly discuss where something could still be improved. About whether or not to fell a tree, how many to remove at once, or how far apart the trunks should be.
At this cold time of the year, you can see particularly well whether a forest is developing well, as you can usually see up to the tops of the trees. This is necessary because climate change is becoming increasingly noticeable here too. “You can see the forecasts of climate research well if you often walk through the forest,” confirms Christoph Schwer, forester of the Forest Owners’ Association (WBV) Ebersberg. The average annual temperature in the Ebersberg district has now risen to 8.5 degrees, if no measures are taken it is expected to rise to 12.5 degrees in the next 50 years. That’s a degree too warm even for the stubborn beech.
The beech convinces with a variety of functions
Nevertheless, the choice for the tree of the year 2022 did not fall on the beech without reason. It is intended to help stabilize the forest in the face of climate change. Heinz Utschig from the Bavarian State Forests explains: “Their diverse functions create a high social and ecological value”. And that is all the more important in these difficult times.
Thanks to its deep roots, the beech holds the soil together and draws its water from very deep layers. This leaves more for the other tree species. At the same time, the deciduous tree allows more water to seep into the ground in winter due to its open crown. In summer, the leaves also direct the water to the trunk, through which it then flows to the ground, transporting many nutrients. However, their ecological value also lies in their deadwood caves, which provide a habitat for animals, and in their numerous mushroom occurrences. In this way, the beech also significantly promotes nature and species protection with extensive flora and fauna.
Christoph Schwer and Heinz Utschig explain to the group what makes a healthy forest. Everyone listens intently and investigates at some points.
(Photo: Louisa Lettow/oh)
As a shade tree species, the beech also requires little light, explains Utschig, so no additional gaps need to be cut in the forest canopy for them. The beech can grow in the shade of the other trees and is therefore very competitive, so it easily serves to rejuvenate a forest. In addition, the soil of the Ebersberg Forest, the terminal moraine, is optimally suited for the beech. “Germany is Buchenland,” confirms Schwer.
In the Bavarian state forest, the beech has therefore been promoted for years, but these efforts have recently been intensified, say the forest experts. The aim is to make the beech the dominant tree species again in order to stabilize the forests in the face of climate change.
There are currently 15 to 20 different tree species in the Ebersberg Forest
But the focus of the forest wardens is not only on the beech: monocultures are a particular problem, and the tree species have to be mixed in order to create a healthy forest, according to the tour. This sometimes requires human intervention. There are currently 15 to 20 different tree species in the Ebersberg Forest, with beech accounting for around 30 percent. By planting mixed tree species, one tries to ensure the preservation and expansion of the native tree species diversity. One of these mixtures is the combination of beech and Douglas fir.
In winter you can look up to the crowns of the beeches and see if the trees are developing well.
(Photo: Louisa Lettow/oh)
A positive selection is also necessary, in which weaker trees are felled and some beeches are promoted so that they do not crowd each other. There should be a distance of at least ten meters between “strong” beeches, which is good for the forest, what grows in between is irrelevant. A certain distance should also be maintained from spruces, as these are susceptible to the bark beetle, whose infestation quickly spreads to the surrounding trees.
German forest areas can be divided into three categories, Schwer explains: state, municipal and private forests, the latter even accounting for around 50 percent of the area. However, forest associations such as the WBV are also responsible for the preservation of the forest. In the past, foresters were often criticized for their work, says Schwer, but now there is a greater understanding of why it is so important.