The Bavarian Forest Administration first examined the health of the local forests in 1983 - as the first federal state. But: the forests are getting worse and worse. This is made clear by the survey that is currently running across Bavaria and also in the Würmtal.
Würmtal - Dr. Alexandra Wauer heads the state inventory for the forest condition survey in Bavaria. She works in the State Institute for Forestry and Forestry in Weihenstephan. She is currently checking the health of the local forests - among others between Gauting and Pentenried. Two thirds of the exterior shots have been completed. Above all, the data from the high mountains are still missing. There, the necessary measurements and controls are correspondingly complex due to the special typographical conditions.
Every year, 36 specially trained foresters check the condition of leaves and needles on forest trees at 314 so-called inventory points in the Free State. In addition, damage caused by fungi, insects, storms, hail and drought is recorded. The measurements and controls should be completed this month. Wauer forwards the results to the state parliament in autumn as a draft report. They are also published on the Internet.
The inventory points are distributed according to a certain grid. One of three points in the district is between Gauting and Pentenried. There Wauer explained to Starnberg Mercury what is important in the forest status survey.
"The most important thing is to assess the treetops"
"The most important thing is to assess the treetops," says the forestry graduate. While the green of most of the trees in the lower and middle area “is well in the sap”, leaves shaped like boats can be seen in the crown of a beech. The leaves of a maple tree have curled up at the top. “These are signs of drought,” explains the expert. Consequences of the dry summer 2019, a winter with little precipitation and the spring drought.
Markus Noack, forester at the Gauting state district, goes into more detail. The dry years of 2015 and especially 2018 still had an impact. “The trees need a few years to recover.” For this, the forest should get a strong boost this year. “Unlike the regions in Northern Bavaria, we cannot complain at the moment,” says Noack. After April with little rainfall, it rained sufficiently and regularly from May onwards. This is especially important for the soils in the Munich gravel plain, which cannot store moisture. “This year there shouldn't be any drought damage,” Noack hopes. The forester is "cautiously optimistic" that the bark beetle will not gain the upper hand in the spruce stands this year. The damage has so far been "very manageable and no comparison to previous years".
The résumé of the regional inventory manager Wauer: “The forest is getting worse and worse. Climate change strikes, it can hardly be brought under control, ”fears the forester:“ Something has to happen around the world. ”What can individuals contribute to saving the forest? "Less driving, especially hands off the gas guzzlers," Wauer appeals to the common sense of her fellow citizens. Freight traffic must be moved from the road to the rail, and local public transport must become cheaper and therefore more attractive for motorists.
