A concept made to preserve, increase, develop and use
near-natural forest ecosystems.

In cooperation with the Forest Alliance and Naturwald Akademie.

Goal

Our forest development concept is based on the forest ecological principles of the Forest Alliance. These aim to preserve, increase, develop and use multifunctional, near-natural forest ecosystems. Implementation is aimed at using ecosystem-based forest management in connection with naturally occurring processes. This principle is applied to all forests that participate in the Forest Alliance project, taking into account the respective initial situation (condition) of individual forests.

Background

The forest development concept is based on well-known concepts of "near-natural forest use" in the sense of the Lübeck forest management concept of 1994 and on the criteria of Naturland e.V.
The concept is constantly adapted based on knowledge and findings from science and practice and is to be understood as a process and not as a static structure.

For our forest owners to achieve the best results and minimize risk, we collaborate closely with leading experts in forest development.

Our ecological forest principles

  • Forests are self-organizing and regulating systems that efficiently manage energy, nutrients and water and at the same time develop a certain resistance and resilience to disturbances and can also adapt to new environmental conditions.

  • This means an orientation towards dynamics in natural forest ecosystems with their composition and structures.

    Natural forests serve as a model for a dynamic ecosystem. They are made up of "natural forest communities" and are the least risky, most productive manifestations of the forest in the long term. This applies to both the tree species composition and typical structures, the natural disturbance regime and its dynamics.
    A high degree of continuity in forest ecosystem development is sought, enabling all forest development phases. Time is an essential value-determining factor for near-natural development. On the one hand, this affects forest ecosystems and individual stands; on the other hand, it also affects habitats (e.g. dead wood), individual trees, or even the forest floor.

  • Learning areas on which no interventions take place with the aim of monitoring, documenting and evaluating natural forest development.

  • In view of the advancing climate change, all measures must strengthen the functionality of forest ecosystems so that their ability to retain water, cool and buffer against extreme weather is maintained or improved. Accordingly, soil and water protection as well as the retention of dead and living biomass have a high (top) priority.

  • i.e. on the one hand careful use of resources and forestry measures (minimum principle) and sustainable (taking all forest functions into account) use of the forest resource, not orientation towards the timber market with a focus on short-term economic effects, but rather a focus on primary production.

    The performance and economic goals for the forest must be aimed at its ecological optimum, thus preventing the ecosystem from being overtaxed. The basic area of ​​the living tree population is based on the natural forest communities (natural forests). Minimum target diameters for tree species and individual trees are the economic goal and ensure high long-term wood sales revenues through valuable large wood end products.

learn more?