Teaching forest

Practical demonstrations and the knowledge of specific forest stands are key requisites for the study of forest sciences. This necessity has already been recognized in 1811 by the founder of the Forest Academy in Tharandt, Heinrich COTTA, who called for the designation of a certain forest region for teaching and demonstration purposes. In 1848, the academy received 900 ha to be used as a demonstration forest district managed by the Professor of SIlviculture. This district has since been subject to numerous areal and structural changes. The current forest structure is the result of different silvicutural philosophies and the actions of individual professors. Due to the proximity to the university, its natural environment and the diversity of stands, the Demonstration Forest today is of great importance to both teaching and research.
The Demonstration Forest is adjacent to the university. Situated on a slope next to the campus, the Forest Botanical Garden forms a transition zone between the town and the forest and features an extensive but easily accessible trail system. The Forest of Tharandt is located in the borderland of the Saxonian Uplands and the Ore Mountains. It thus features a variety of forest sites typical of Saxony. Featuring an average elevation of 250-430 m a.s.l., the annual air temperature averages at 7,3 °C and the annual precipitation amounts to approximately 830 mm. The diversity of the geological materials is unparalleled in Saxony. In direct proximity to one another, one can find clay slate, diabasem phyllite, grey gneiss, quartzporphyry, quartz-rich porphyry, New Red sediments (Rotliegende), Pläner and block sandstone, basal clays, and basalt. Originating in the Pleistocene, the area is covered by veils of loess loam or pendant loam. The range of soils that developed under these conditions is very diverse. They range from eutrophic brown soils (Eutric Cambisols; on basalt) to podzols with low nutrient supply (on Pläner sandstone) and from terrestrial sites with different water regimes to mineral wet sites (pseudogley, gley) and even to organic wet sites with partial peatland formation. Water regimes and soil depth vary enormously especially on steep slopes as well as on silty and clayey soils.
Under natural conditions, climate and soils facilitated the development of acidophilus, species-poor beech forests. Within this zonal forest type, small-scaled site-specific variants of the colline-submontane form of the Woodrush-Oak-Beech Forest (Luzulo-Fagetum) can be found ranging from the Woodruff-Beech Forest (Galio odorati-Fagetum) to the Dyer's greenweed-Oak Forest (Genisto tinctoriae-Quercetum) or from the Ash-Maple Ravine Forest (Fraxino-Aceretum) to the Cowberry-Pine-Oak Forest (Vaccinio vitis-idaeae-Quercetum).
The site and vegetation characteristics of the Forest of Tharandt offer favourable conditions for teaching the relations between natural site - forest yield - forest functions and forest management.
Up to this day, students have to participate in silviculture exercises and seminars and write term papers dealing with interesting forest stands. In addition, the Chair of Silviculture offers a number of excursions and silvicultural trainings in the Demonstration Forest focussing on specific subjects such as the treatment of individual tree species or tree marking for thinning operations. A number of experimental sites and demonstration objects has since been created. Numerous theses deal with local silvicultural problems or questions. The Demonstration Forest is also available to other institutes and departments for teaching and research purposes.