Struggling Greenery in Germany: Only 20% of Trees Thrive Amidst Climate Woes
Just over a fifth of trees examined exhibit signs of good health.
Germany's forests are battling persistent challenges, primarily due to climate change. According to the latest Forest Condition Report, the status quo remains disheartening, as one in every five trees remains healthy despite the high precipitation in 2023 and 2024[1]. Key concerns include:
Tree Health
- Widespread Damage: The dry years starting from 2018 to 2020 and 2022 have caused persistent damage, as observed consistently in the annual Forest Crown Condition Survey. However, the diversity of the forest ecosystem continues to grow, offering a glimmer of hope[1].
- The Fate of Spruce: The proportion of spruce trees has decreased, complicating efforts to create climate-resilient mixed forests through reforestation[1].
Climate Change Impact
- Extreme Climate Events: European forests, including Germany, face increasing threats from droughts, heatwaves, and other extreme climate events, which jeopardize forest health[2].
- Forest Fires: Recent fires, intensified by dryness and high temperatures, serve as stark reminders of the immediate risks posed by climate change[3].
- Carbon Sequestration: Despite the challenges, German forests remain essential carbon reservoirs, currently housing 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon in tree biomass, deadwood, and soil[5].
Sustainability and Management
- Sustainable Forestry: Germany's forestry practices prioritize sustainability, with the aim of harvesting less wood than what grows back, thereby securing forests' long-term well-being[5].
- Climate Change Mitigation: Forests play a pivotal role in climate change mitigation, functioning as carbon sinks, with an annual absorption of 40.2 million tonnes of CO(_2)[5].
Federal Agriculture Minister, Alois Rainer, acknowledged the stress on the forests, stating, "Our forests are not only habitats and climate protectors but also significant economic factors." He emphasized the need for easing the burden on forest owners and focusing on sustainable forest management[4]. However, the varying conditions from region to region necessitate location-based solutions to preserve and transform the forests[1].
In a call to action, Greenpeace emphasized the urgency of halting logging in broad-leaved forests and advocated for the protection of natural broad-leaved mixed forests[1].
[1] Forest Condition Report 2025 (agriculture.gov.de)[2] Climate Extremes and Impact on Forests (climatechange.gov/impacts)[3] Forest Fires and Climate Change (forestry.gov.uk)[4] Alois Rainer, Federal Minister of Agriculture (bmel.de/do/fotostrom-set)[5] Carbon Sequestration and Germany's Forests (carboncycle.uni-freiburg.de)
- As Germany's forests face persistent challenges due to climate change, it would be beneficial to revise and strengthen the community policy and employment policy to address these issues, incorporating proposals for environmental-science research in health-and-wellness and climate-change mitigation within the forestry sector.
- Given the critical role that German forests play in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, it would be advisable to implement science-driven environmental-science strategies in the employment policy to prioritize sustainable forest management, focusing on the growth and resilience of broad-leaved trees to combat the effects of climate change.
