After trees fell onto the Enz Valley cycle path last summer, the path had to be closed. Investigations revealed fungal infestation and a lack of stability due to the drought. The Enz valley cycle path between Löbertsbrunnen and Enzweihingen is embedded in a mixed deciduous forest and thus promises a particularly beautiful section of the supra-regional Enz valley cycle path for cyclists, but it is also a popular hiking route for walkers from Vaihingen. Parts of the forest are designated as a forest refuge, meaning that the forest here is not only used for recreation, but primarily for nature conservation. Thinning and other forestry interventions have not taken place here for a long time, but there have been repeated targeted interventions to ensure road safety along the forest path.
"We have been observing the situation here with increasing concern over the last two years. So far, we have been able to ensure the safety of cyclists and walkers by removing individual trees and closing the Enz Valley cycle path at short notice," explains district manager Jürgen Riedinger. As elsewhere, the effects of climate change are causing problems. "The trees that take root here in the scree slopes above the Enz river already have a hard enough time without the drought of recent summers, they have significantly less water available even in normal years and it is much more difficult to gain a secure footing between the boulders due to deep roots," adds Riedinger. In similarly affected areas of the Vaihingen city forest, this development is being deliberately observed without intervening more intensively. "Unfortunately, we don't have this option on the Enz Valley cycle path," says Dr. Michael Nill, head of the forestry department. "Because then we would have to abandon the Enztal cycle path at this point and permanently divert it, which is not a feasible scenario."
The necessary closure of the Enz valley cycle path this summer due to fallen trees has unfortunately made it clear that the trees along the Enz, many of which are already old, are barely able to cope with the conditions of recent years and are significantly weakened. In addition to the drought, harmful fungi are playing an increasingly important role, such as in the case of ash dieback. Also affected are the poplars opposite the Löbertsbrunnen sports ground, which are gradually reaching the end of their natural lifespan and have therefore become susceptible to fungi and other harmful organisms. "The removal of individual, particularly dangerous trees will therefore unfortunately no longer be enough," the two foresters are certain. In order to ensure adequate safety along the path and to avoid permanent closures of the cycle path, more intervention is therefore required. Most of the felling will be concentrated on the first thirty meters along the cycle path, outside the forest refuge, where the trees pose the greatest danger to recreational users. Small trees, known as natural regeneration, are already waiting in the wings and, with a little help from the forestry department, will ensure that the forest changes its appearance but remains intact. "An intervention on this scale is never easy, but basically we only have these two options: either the Enz Valley cycle path is permanently rerouted, or the damaged trees are removed. From a legal point of view, the town of Vaihingen, as the owner of the forest, would not be liable in the event of an accident, but nobody seriously wants to create this situation," concludes Nill.
