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

In cooperation with the Forest Alliance and Naturwald Akademie.

Goal

The 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 or primeval forest systems serve as a model for a dynamic ecosystem. They are made up of "natural forest communities" and are the least risky and most productive manifestations of the forest in the long term. This applies to both the tree species composition and typical (primeval forest) structures, the natural disturbance regime and its dynamics.
    A high degree of continuity in forest ecosystem development is sought, with the aim of allowing all forest development phases. Time is an essential value-determining factor for near-natural development. On the one hand, this affects the forest ecosystems and individual stands, but on the other hand also habitats (e.g. dead wood) and individual trees or even the forest floor.
    In forests that participate in the Forest Alliance project, the natural dynamics and open-ended development of the ecosystem are permitted or promoted in order to enable a near-natural, functional and correspondingly adaptable permanent forest that not only provides regulating and supplying ecosystem services for people, but above all also contributes to the stabilization of the other landscape ecosystems associated with the forest. This also applies in particular to devastated or otherwise degraded forests (e.g. monocultures), which are to develop into functional near-natural forest ecosystems with the help of ecosystem-based or ecosystem-supporting measures.

  • 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.

Any questions?

Individual
silvicultural procedures

Individual silvicultural procedures are addressed below, without claiming to be complete. Specific procedures or measures at the forest stand level can be discussed with the experts of the Forest Alliance.

Do’s

  • The focus of softwood logging should be in late summer and autumn and before the end of the hardwood logging period, and hardwood logging in winter (not before November 1st, only after the leaves have fallen). Late summer felling of conifers should be largely limited to conifer-dominated stands, while the removal of conifers in deciduous stands should take place primarily in autumn and winter together with deciduous felling.

  • Such forests include, the woodrush beech forest, wire-sedge beech forest, the acidic moist mixed oak forest and the acidic dry mixed oak forest.
    Treatment is discussed on a case-by-case basis with the forest owner.

  • Those areas should be representative of the main soil, forest and woodland conditions. No interventions take place on these areas other than hunting. They are used to observe natural processes and their development should be documented. Ideally, these areas should be at least 20 hectares in size and together comprise at least 10% of the forest area. For smaller forest areas, the Forest Alliance develops appropriate, comparable areas or measures together with the forest owners.

  • The target stocks should be increased to at least 80% of the natural forest stocks. The minimum stock of a stand depends on the current condition and its natural forest community and requires analysis and decision in individual cases by an advisory committee of the Forest Alliance in cooperation with the forest owners.

  • The development and dynamics in the designated reference areas (if available) can serve as a guideline.

  • Rather wait ten years before deciding whether reforestation is necessary. In accordance with the reforestation obligation in the applicable state forest laws, a check is carried out within the time frame defined therein to determine whether reforestation (natural regeneration) has taken place.

  • Ideally, maintenance interventions can be avoided entirely and the timber harvest only uses trees that have reached the target diameter (measured as breast height diameter - DBH) and are of high quality (e.g. for well-supplied sites: beech 70 cm DBH and oak 80 cm DBH). Thinning is to be regarded as a disturbance and should be reduced to a minimum. Scientific studies have shown that thinning can no longer contribute to the growth of individual trees if the diameter is 35-40 cm or more.

  • Target diameters are set by the Forest Alliance advisory committee together with the forest owners, but are primarily based on the large timber segment (see previous point). Important: Leave individual old trees standing in order to end the age class forests and revitalize the associated species. Link to the above point: A set minimum stock must not be undercut. Felling should not be carried out in order to facilitate natural regeneration or to help existing regeneration/new growth.

  • If possible (depending on the strength class of the harvested timber), use hauling horses and/or cable pulling methods. Avoid driving over large areas.

  • Where possible the distance should be extended to 60-80 m (benefits for the microclimate and the creation of potential production space).

  • Such may include more frequent interventions to reduce the proportion of non-native tree species and opening up for natural regeneration and possibly planting of native tree species. This must be determined individually on site with the forest owners and the advisory committee of the Forest Alliance.

  • At least three quarters of the number of dead trees should remain standing or lying on the area. If it makes economic sense, valuable timber logs can be removed and used exclusively for long-term wood assortments (no firewood or paper production). Here too, an individual examination applies the situation on site together with the forest owners and the advisory committee of the Forest Alliance.

  • Standing deadwood or biotope trees that have to be felled for traffic safety reasons along public roads, parking lots, playgrounds or main hiking trails as well as on the outer edges of the forest are then left in the stand as far as possible and left to develop naturally. Exceptions are fire protection, occupational safety and points relating to neighbourly law. Ineffective forest protection measures are to be avoided (such as clearing ‘beetle wood’) and natural decomposition processes are to be allowed (such as establishing predator-prey interactions).

  • Replanting must not be done mechanically, but only by hand, to avoid soil pressure and humus damage. No area-wide planting of just one tree species at a time. Proportional initial plantings should enable structural diversity together with subsequent natural regeneration.

  • Allow for natural self-development into an adaptable, vital forest ecosystem. For this purpose, needs-based wildlife management should be provided (including professional hunting, protective measures, no trophy hunting).

Don’ts

  • Or one trunk length of the leading tree species as the diameter for the crown gap (circle or gap area = pi/4*d2

  • including insecticides, rodenticides and other plant protection products

  • liquid manure, sewage sludge

  • such as mechanical planting, area clearing, wood harvesting or logging

  • such as drainage ditches in forests

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