Ministry of Forestry: State of forests a cause for concern

The forests in Lower Saxony are still in a bad way. "The proportion of severely damaged trees is more than twice as high as the long-term average - and this is already the fourth year in a row," said Forestry Minister Miriam Staudte (Greens) on Friday with regard to the new forest condition report.

, and Katherine Bradley

2023 December 15 . 12:33 PM

1 min read

Environment - Ministry of Forestry: State of forests a cause for concern

The forests in Lower Saxony are still in a bad way. "The proportion of severely damaged trees is more than twice as high as the long-term average - and this is already the fourth year in a row," said Forestry Minister Miriam Staudte (Greens) on Friday, referring to the new forest condition report.

This continues to clearly show the impact of several years of extreme weather on the country's forests, the ministry said. According to the survey, favorable weather conditions in 2023 prevented further deterioration. Although the past vegetation year was again very warm, there was also sufficient precipitation.

The Forest Condition Report has been published annually by the Northwest German Forest Research Institute and the Ministry since 1983. It is intended to document the impact on forests and forest soils caused by harmful substances, weather and climate change as well as insects and fungi that are harmful to forests.