How is the forest doing?

© igreen media | Jonathan Fieber

Pristine, untouched forests no longer exist in Germany. Even forests that are left to develop naturally or are protected by law are not free from human influence. Forests are connected to the surrounding countryside and its soils via air and water. This brings them into contact with non-forest organisms, substances and other influences from settlements, industry, agricultural areas and other forms of human land use. The fragmentation and isolation of forests increase the inputs into forest ecosystems many times over. As a result, noise, light, vibrations and radiation reach deep into the forest. These additional influences place a considerable burden on forest communities and their life cycles. Abundant clean water, clean air, good wood and secure jobs are becoming questionable.

© Spehzies | Bernhard Speh

Since the "forest dieback" in the 1970s, there has been a rethink and more and more forest owners are once again converting their forests. They want to make their forests more resilient. In addition to conventional economic indicators, ecological changes in the forest and surrounding area have also been systematically recorded since then. More and more selected characteristics are being measured and more and more measures and plans are being coordinated and linked. This makes species extinction and climate change more measurable and global dependencies more visible. It is now clear that the forests are in a deep, multi-layered crisis.

"Can our forests still be saved, Michael Müller?"

Terra X, the ZDF podcast series with presenter Dirk Steffens, is interested in balanced information about the forests in Germany. In September 2021, an almost one-hour podcast was recorded with Prof. Dr. Michael Müller on forest and forest protection aspects, because "the forest is not doing well". Listeners can take away from the conversation not only new knowledge about our forests, but also about the people who produce the diverse services our forests provide. We have to thank them in particular because in Germany, with the exception of wood, almost all forest services can be consumed free of charge, regardless of forest ownership. This is an exceptional situation even in Europe.

Next question: "Who takes care of the forest?"
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Wie geht es dem Wald?