As of: March 6, 2024, 4:00 p.m
By: Tom Otto
Comments
Press
Split
Happy about the oak grove (from left): forest director Johannes Kutter from AELF Krumbach-Mindelheim, forestry manager Dr.
Hermann S. Walter from the Bavarian State Forests Ottobeuren and Rainer Nützel, head of the AELF Krumbach-Mindelheim.
© Tom Otto
Despite their important contribution to climate protection, our forests are also at risk from climate change: not all tree species will be able to cope with climatic changes.
A double challenge for the Bavarian state forests.
Additional forest areas and more robust mixed forests are now needed.
Unterallgäu -
West of Unterkammlach, in the Gallenwald district of the Bavarian State Forests Ottobeuren, one of these rare double measures has now been achieved.
By purchasing one and a half hectares of land with a favorable location and soil conditions, the state forestry department was able to create a new oak forest here.
Around five thousand oak saplings have been planted on around half of this new area.
If everything goes well, there will be a few hundred oak trees here in several years.
In order for this to be successful, extensive care measures are required, especially in the first few years.
Care and risks
Forestry manager Dr.
Hermann S. Walter describes several risks that young oak plants are exposed to.
The young shoots are very tasty for deer and are at the top of their menu, so fencing is essential.
Oak trees need a lot of light and cannot be planted in dense forests.
Ideally, you plant them in a meadow clearing, like here.
For up to five years, you have to mow between the plants by hand to protect them.
Tall grass and blackberries rob the shoots of light, promote snowfall and can severely hinder growth.
Water voles also damage the young plants; the roots are particularly popular food.
These circumstances make planting and maintaining an oak forest an expensive affair.
Importance for the economy and climate
It takes around 150 years for the sought-after wood to be harvested.
For many private forest farmers, this makes cultivation unattractive.
For current climate protection reasons, it would be even more important to create mixed forests with more oak trees.
The diversification that they bring about in mixed forests and thus make the forests more resistant to climate change goes beyond the plant world.
Many insects also respond to the oak stands.
Over a thousand different species of insects live with and from the oak tree.
Johannes Kutter underlines the importance of the forest for climate protection.
“Bavarian state forests and the Bavarian Forestry Administration work closely together when it comes to making the forests climate-friendly.
Depending on the growth, one hectare of forest binds around ten tons of CO2 every year, says Kutter.
Forests are not only important for keeping the air clean, they also make an important contribution to biodiversity.
More trees for the future
Around five million trees are planted every year in the Bavarian state forests.
Another five million are to be planted in the coming years as part of the Bavarian Climate Offensive.
By 2025 there should be a total of 30 million new trees, with a focus on particularly climate-tolerant tree species such as the oak.
Private forest owners can also receive funding for initial planting; information about this can be found at www.waldbürger-portal.bayern.de.
Be informed about the most important stories every day at the end of the day with the Kurier newsletter.
Visit the Memminger KURIER on Facebook too!