This article needs to be updated.(May 2021) |
The forests of Germany covers 11.4 million hectares (28.2 Acres), 32 percent of the total area of the country (as of 2012). In the German forests grow about 90 billion trees with a total wood stock of 3.7 billion cubic meters. [1]
The definition of the Federal Forest Act (BWaldG) for forest is: "any area planted with forest plants. Forest also includes clear-cut or shaded ground areas, forest roads, forest clearance and securing strips, forest meadows and clearings, forest meadows, grass clearing areas, wood storage areas and other areas associated with and serving the forest." [2]
According to the results of the Third Federal Forest Inventory (2012), Germany has 11,419,124 hectares, 32.0 percent of the land area planted with forest. Of these, 11,054,162 hectares are wood flooring and 364,962 hectares are non-wood flooring. The German forest area increased in the period between 2002 and 2012 by a total of 49,597 hectares or 0.4 percent. [3] During this period, around 108,000 hectares of new forest were created, while around 58,000 hectares of existing forest area were lost. [4] The federal state with the largest forest area is Bavaria with 2.6 million hectares of forest. The largest proportion of forestation in the country surface, each with 42.3 percent, are Hessen and Rhineland-Palatinate. [3]
The Federal Statistical Office records the forest area according to other parameters than the Federal Forest Inventory. It is based on the so-called "actual use" of the real estate cadastre. As of 31 December 2015, the Federal Statistical Office for Germany has a forest area of 109,515 km2. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the area of German forests has increased by 4,979 km2 since 31 December 1992. [5]
In Germany there are about 2 million forest owners. [6] In addition to forest owners, forest owners also include beneficial owners, provided that they are the direct owners of the forest. [7]
The forest property types are defined as follows according to § 3 of the Federal Forest Act (BWaldG): [8]
According to the surveys of the Federal Forest Inventory, 48.0 percent of the German forest area is private forest, 29.0 percent state forest of the federal states, 19.4 percent corporate forest and 3.5 percent federal state forest. [9] The federal state with the largest private forest share is North Rhine-Westphalia with 66.8 percent. With 46.1 percent, Rhineland-Palatinate has the highest share of corporate forests. The state forest dominates with 50.1 percent area share in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
In Germany there are 16 state forestry enterprises: 15 forestry companies of the countries (except Bremen) and the Federal Forestry. The largest forest owner in Germany is the Free State of Bavaria with around 778,000 hectares, which are mainly managed by the Bavarian State Forests (BaySF). [10]
The number of corporate forests in Germany is estimated at 60,000, with an average size of 38 hectares. The Klosterkammer Hannover has 24,400 hectares, the largest German corporate forest. [10] The largest municipal forest owner is the city of Brilon with 7,750 hectares of forest. [11]
The private forest in Germany is distributed to almost 2 million owners. The average size of German private forests is 3 hectares. While the property size class covers more than 1,000 hectares, only 13 percent of the private forest area, 50 percent of the area and 98 percent of the owners in the small private forest to 20 hectares in size. The DBU Naturerbe GmbH is with about 69,000 hectares of total area (including open land areas) the largest private forest owner in Germany. [10] [12] Around 150,000 hectares of forest are distributed by the churches in Germany to more than 6,500 legal entities (parishes, monasteries, foundations, bishoprics). Even though the churches are for the most part public corporations, the church forest is a private forest. [13]
The Third Federal Forest Inventory in 2012 recorded 51 tree species and tree species groups in German forests. [14] The spruce stands for the largest proportion of the wooded floor at 26.0 percent, followed by the pines at 22.9 percent, the beech at 15.8 percent and the oak at 10.6 percent. Common tree species in the German forests are also the hanging birch (Betula pendula), the common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), the black alder (Alnus glutinosa), the European larch (Larix decidua), the common Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus).
By nature, the German forest would be strongly influenced by deciduous trees, in particular red beech ( Fagus sylvatica ). Today's tree species composition with high proportions of coniferous trees reflects the forest use of the past centuries. From the Middle Ages to the early 19th century, many forests in Germany were over-used or beaten to pieces. In order to avert an imminent wood problem, these devastated forests and areas were reforested in the context of sustainable forestry on the better soils with good water supply often with common spruce ( Picea abies ) and on the nutrient-poorer and drier locations with pine ( Pinus sylvestris ). [15]
These two robust tree species are better able to cope with the difficult ecological conditions on clear-cutting land than frost-sensitive tree species such as European beech and white fir (Abies alba) and also provide high timber yields. Even during and after the two world wars caused by the destruction of the war, the Reparationshiebe and the wood requirements for the reconstruction large Kahlflächen on which often pure populations of spruce and pine were established. The forest owners and foresters of the time provided a great cultural achievement with the reconstruction of the forests - given the large areas and limited resources available. [15]
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. The science of forestry has elements that belong to the biological, physical, social, political and managerial sciences. Forest management plays an essential role in the creation and modification of habitats and affects ecosystem services provisioning.
Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes. 95% of the area is covered with forests, mainly with spruce and beech woods, including several bogs, granite rocks and creeks. The park is part of the Natura 2000 network of the European Union.
The Bavarian Forest National Park is a national park in the Eastern Bavarian Forest immediately on Germany's border with the Czech Republic. It was founded on 7 October 1970 as the first national park in Germany. Since its expansion on 1 August 1997 it has covered an area of 24,250 hectares. Together with the neighbouring Czech Bohemian Forest the Bavarian Forest forms the largest contiguous area of forest in Central Europe.
The Russian forestry industry is a set of Russian industries related to wood harvesting and processing. As one of the oldest sectors in the country's economy, Russia's timber industry continues to bring in about $20 billion per year. Russia has more than a fifth of the world's forests, making it the largest forest country in the world. According to data for 2015, the total forest area has exceeded 885 million hectares, representing 45% of the total area of the country. The stock of wood in the area was 82 billion cubic meters. However in 2023 academics complained that not enough information had been published.
The forestry sector in Argentina has great potential. The geography of the country extends from north to south, encompassing 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi). Its variety of climates, land quality, and reliable precipitation allow for the cultivation of different tree species at high growth rates. The climate varies and most areas are quite temperate. The country also enjoys short harvest periods for the most important species. This has allowed the industry to become more competitive and continue its high growth rates.
The WeltWald Harz up to 2009 Arboretum Bad Grund, also known as Exotenwald and sometimes called the Arboretum des Forstamtes Grund or the Forstaboretum der Niedersächsischen Landesforstverwaltung, is an arboretum located along the B 242 federal highway near the Hübichenstein, northwest of Bad Grund, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is open daily without charge.
The United Kingdom, being in the British Isles, is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. In the absence of people, much of Great Britain would be covered with mature oaks, except for Scotland. Although conditions for forestry are good, trees face threats from fungi, parasites and pests. Nowadays, about 13% of Britain's land surface is wooded. European countries average 39%, but this varies widely from 1% (Malta) to 66% (Finland). As of 2021, government plans call for 30,000 hectares to be reforested each year. Efforts to reach these targets have attracted criticism for planting non-native trees, or trees that are out of place for their surroundings, leading to ecological changes.
The Eifel National Park is the 14th national park in Germany and the first in North Rhine-Westphalia. The park was founded in 2004, and is classified as a "national park in development".
The Hohe Bogen is a roughly 8-kilometre-long mountain ridge in the Bavarian Forest.
Schachten (singul.) are ancient areas of pasture in the Bavarian Forest in Germany, some of which are still used today.
Rostock Heath is a wood and heathland region northeast of the German city of Rostock. It has a total area of about 6000 hectares and, since 1252, has been owned by the Hanseatic city of Rostock. As a result of its ownership of the Rostock Heath, Rostock is today one of the five largest communal woodland owners in Germany.
The Canadian forestry industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy. With 39% of Canada's land acreage covered by forests, the country contains 9% of the world's forested land. The forests are made up primarily of spruce, poplar and pine. The Canadian forestry industry is composed of three main sectors: solid wood manufacturing, pulp and paper and logging. Forests, as well as forestry are managed by The Department of Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service, in cooperation with several organizations which represent government groups, officials, policy experts, and numerous other stakeholders. Extensive deforestation by European settlers during the 18th and 19th centuries has been halted by more modern policies. Today, less than 1% of Canada's forests are affected by logging each year. Canada is the 2nd largest exporter of wood products, and produces 12.3% of the global market share. Economic concerns related to forestry include greenhouse gas emissions, biotechnology, biological diversity, and infestation by pests such as the mountain pine beetle.
The Southern Black Forest Nature Park is located in Baden-Württemberg in Germany and covers an area of 394,000 hectares. As of 2018, it is Germany's largest nature park.
The history of Central European forests is characterised by thousands of years of exploitation by people. Thus a distinction needs to be made between the botanical natural history of the forest in pre- and proto-historical times—which falls mainly into the fields of natural history and Paleobotany—and the onset of the period of sedentary settlement which began at the latest in the Neolithic era in Central Europe - and thus the use of the forest by people, which is covered by the disciplines of history, archaeology, cultural studies and ecology.
Faskally Forest, also known as Faskally Woods, is a wooded area in the historic county of Perthshire, Scotland. It is among the mixed woodlands of Perthshire, and is well known for its radiant colours during the autumn. It is one of the early forest lands of Perthshire Big Tree County. Originally a "model woodland" developed in the 19th century with a resort owned by Archibald Edward Butter. In 1953, Faskally was acquired by the Forestry Commission of Scotland to set up a school for training young foresters.
A municipal forest or municipal woodland is a forest or wood owned by a town or city. Such woods often have a higher density of leisure facilities like play parks, restaurants and cafes, bridleways, cycle paths and footpaths. Unlike an urban forest, which is located largely or entirely within an urban area and may be privately owned, a municipal forest is publicly owned and may well be outside the city or town to which it belongs. Most urban forests will be municipal forests, but many municipal forests are non-urban.
A private forest is a forest that is not owned by municipal authorities, church authorities or the state. It can refer to woodland owned by a natural or juridical person or a partnership.It is the forest which is planted, nurtured or conserved in any private land.
A tree plantation, forest plantation, plantation forest, timber plantation or tree farm is a forest planted for high volume production of wood, usually by planting one type of tree as a monoculture forest. The term tree farm also is used to refer to tree nurseries and Christmas tree farms.
The forests of Switzerland are located across much of the country, at elevations up to the tree line, which lies at about 2,000 metres above sea level. They cover 1.3 million hectares or 32% of Switzerland. The most wooded regions of the country are the massifs of the Jura and the Alps. The diversity of the climate in Switzerland favors both deciduous and coniferous forests.