Forest Ecology: The Great Forest Conversion
Climate change is not just dying of individual trees. In addition, the composition of our forests is changing fundamentally: the main tree species of spruce, pine, beech and oak will probably no longer dominate large areas of forest.
- Mike Beckers: Germany in climate change
- Diana Rechid: Agriculture – Sufferers and Contributors
- Ralf Weisse: Coasts under pressure
- Rita Adrian and Benjamin M. Kraemer: Spotlight on lakes and rivers
The two dry summers in 2018 and 2019 have already shown how climate change is affecting Germany's forests: Forests have died off on more than 200,000 hectares and at least 100 million cubic meters of damaged wood have accumulated. According to estimates by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, this loss will add up to more than 245,000 hectares and more than 160 million cubic meters of damaged wood by the end of 2020. This includes only the areas that need to be reforested. The actual damaged area – including the locations where individual trees or groups of trees have died – is probably considerably larger.
However, the damage currently affects less than five percent of the forest area and the wood stock in our forests. There can be no question (yet) of a Germany-wide "forest dieback", even though the forest landscapes are changing drastically in individual regions. But how will further moderate global warming affect forests over the next fifty years to 2070? …
