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Trees for the future?
Ginkgo: A strong tree in old age that is immune to almost all diseases
Photo:
Moment / Getty Images
The excursion in Würzburg begins at a linden tree that will soon die.
It looks dry and bare, with brown-edged leaves that crumble when torn off.
The tree was tormented by traffic, poisoned by road salt, burned by the sun.
Susanne Böll, 63, gives him "another three or four years".
The biologist gets into her VW Polo, which she has parked under the terminally ill tree.
Then it goes down the busy Ludwigstrasse, past other trees in the avenue that are just as badly off.
After a few minutes, the scientist reaches the "Ringpark" and stops at the roadside.
It warns of potentially dangerous green branch breaks and points to trees that are "emergency fruiting" in order to be able to produce more seeds before they are threatened with death.
Germany's trees suffer, and especially those in the city centers.
Their life expectancy has always been significantly lower than that of their fellow species in the country.
Traffic, supply lines and sealing have already caused them enough problems, and now there is also climate change.
Many can no longer stand it.
They are so weakened that they are easy prey to disease and parasites.
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