Frankfurt city forest: Only three percent of trees healthy

You have to put the head in the nape of the neck, in order to discover the damage to the trees in the Frankfurt city forest. The times, in which only the crowns

Frankfurt city forest: Only three percent of trees healthy

You have to put the head in the nape of the neck, in order to discover the damage to the trees in the Frankfurt city forest. The times, in which only the crowns of the trees have lights, are long gone. When you walk the whole tree to identify groups, the dead are. On the forest floor, broken, dry Branches piled up, old, tower, high Book the entire cortex, which is supposed to offer protection is burst, from the heat. Trees skeletal in the sky. Other areas are completely bald. The city forest has been there, like the so-called harmful wood already removed. On closer Inspection, one discovers on the ground, the first, knee-high young trees. It is the attempt, as quickly as possible the forest to reforest.

Mechthild Harting

editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

F. A. Z.

In a word: In such a bad condition as at present, the city forest was in the past few decades, never. The state of the forest report of 2019-in the autumn of last year, after the two hot and dry summers in a row, nearly 97 percent of the trees damaged in some Form, conversely, only three percent are completely healthy. About 64 percent of the trees are damaged, according to Tina Baumann, head of the city forest, medium to strong. Also, it has, since 1984, as the state report was first created, not given. "This affects all tree species," says Baumann, even if the jaw was on the come best with the extreme weather conditions handle. Beech and oak are the main tree species in the urban forest, have hit it hard. The damaged wood was summed up in 2019 to fifteen times the amount of a normal year. This has consequences for the wood price, which has fallen from an average of 45 euros per cubic metre by more than half, to 19 Euro.

The care of the forest brings no money

The consequences for the town of Forst, which is part of the green area office, are fatal, after all he has earned to date an average of half a Million Euro profit in the year. An important source of revenue for the office, this is also for care and cleaning of the Parks are responsible. At the same time, the city forestry currently has a significantly higher expenditure. There are more trees need to be felled and other streets, and Central Due to a controlled, so you fall over suddenly and passers-by hurt. And a challenge it is to cope: While native tree species are suffering from the weather extremes, the late-blooming bird cherry, an invasive species from North America, faster and faster. "The is dead," says Baumann. In order to give the young of other species a Chance, you must cut down the grape cherry or be cut. "This is a huge task that costs a lot of money." The care of the forest brings with it so no more money, but will cost you what. Baumann anticipates that the city needs to invest in this year around a Million euros.

Also in the reforestation. From the Considerations of some experts, the design woods complete relocation to just put on the back of new, foreign species of tree, holds Baumann nothing. "We're staying with our concept of the stable mixed forest." However, she wants to except for the "classics" such as beech, oak and pine, new native species such as the winter Linden, serviceberry, and Anne plant, as well as non-native species such as black pine, tree, hazel and Atlas cedar know test. "We have to exhaust all the possibilities."

Date Of Update: 22 June 2020, 19:19