Removing dead trees from the forests and reforesting on a large scale: this is the German Federal Government's strategy against "Forest Dieback 2.0". Ecologists from the University of Würzburg call for other solutions.
Bark beetles, heat, drought, storms, and fires have damaged the German forests. Those who go for a walk there often encounter dead spruces and dried beech trees. "The forests are affected in all regions and need quick help," says the website of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Clear and reforest: this is how the ministry imagines this help. Minister Julia Klöckner plans a large-scale clear-up followed by reforestation programme. At least 500 million euros are needed for the programme and subsequent maintenance.
Researchers call for a radical change
Clear-up and reforestation is not the right strategy, forest ecologists Simon Thorn, Joerg Mueller and Alexandro Leverkus from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, write in Science magazine. "This policy is likely to create extensive, even forest stands that remain particularly vulnerable to the impacts of future climate change," says Simon Thorn.
Read more at University of Würzburg
Image: Spruces killed by bark beetles on the Lusen in the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany. Ecologists call for preserving most of that dead wood in forests. (Credit: Simon Thorn / University of Wuerzburg)