Forests are becoming richer in species, older and richer in wood

By managing its forests sustainably, Germany is reducing its_{carbon footprint} by eleven percent. At first glance, the connection between forests and climate protection seems simple: during photosynthesis,_CO2 is bound and oxygen is released. The carbon is stored in the tree and thus removed from the atmosphere. If a tree dies and decomposes, a reverse process takes place in which the stored carbon is released again in the form of_CO2. Both processes are constantly taking place in a forest. Over the centuries, this results in a balance in a primeval forest. If a forest is young, it removes more_CO2 from the atmosphere; if it is very old and enters a natural decay phase, it releases more_CO2. "This knowledge must be known in order to talk about the climate protection performance of forests," says Nill, Head of the Forestry Department at the Ludwigsburg District Office. "Climate protection in forests is closely linked to the sustainable management of forests."

Why are forests so important for climate protection?

One important factor is the forest area. If this decreases, as is the case in tropical rainforests, for example, the stored amount of_CO2 is released into the atmosphere. In order to bind this amount of_{CO2 again} , the same number of trees would have to grow again on another area. This cannot happen overnight. Protecting existing forests is therefore of great importance for climate protection.

"Fortunately, the situation is different in Germany," says Nill happily. Laws and sustainable management protect the forest. The results of the last national forest inventory in 2012 show a positive picture: the forests in Germany are becoming richer in species, older and richer in wood. Specifically, the amount of wood in German forests increased by seven percent between 2002 and 2012. The amount of carbon sequestered in the forest has also increased to the same extent.

But what happens when trees are felled in a forest?

In the place where the trees stood, the amount of carbon stored decreases in the short term. In order to prevent the amount stored in the forest from being reduced in the long term, it is necessary to look at a forest complex. By limiting timber harvesting to a few places each year, the forest has time to close the gaps in the canopy. The additional light stimulates the remaining trees so that the amount of wood increases again over time. One control instrument is the national forest inventory. If this shows that the amount of wood is increasing, the forest in Germany is storing more carbon - despite timber harvesting.

What influence does the further use of the wood have?

The best thing for the climate is long-term use of the wood, for example as roof trusses or tables. As the wood does not decompose during this time, the carbon it contains remains bound and thus continues to contribute to climate protection. From a climate protection perspective, it is ideal if the wood is further processed after its initial use, for example in the form of industrial wood panels. A lot of research is currently being carried out in this area under the heading of "bioeconomy".

If wood from sustainable forestry is burned, the carbon is released as described above - but only the amount of_CO2 that the forest from which the wood originates stores again. In this case, the negative impact on the climate is limited to the_CO2 released during the felling, processing and transportation of the wood. If firewood is sourced regionally, this impact is extremely small compared to the balance of fossil fuels.

An often underestimated climate protection effect of wood products lies in the avoidance of climate-damaging materials. If wood is used instead of steel, concrete or plastic, which are produced with high, mostly fossil, energy input, this indirectly leads to a reduction in greenhouse gases. This saving is also known as the substitution effect. Climate protection through substitution is even 14 times higher than the impact of carbon storage in wood products.

Climate protection today and in the future

In total, forests and wood use in Germany contribute 92 million tons of_CO2 per year to climate protection. This corresponds to around eleven percent of Germany's annual greenhouse gas emissions from 2012-2017. "Although the forest itself is a climate protector, it is also affected by climate change," clarifies Nill. The extent to which the amount of carbon stored in the forest will change due to the increasing number of dry and hot years and the resulting dying trees cannot yet be predicted. "This makes it all the more important for us foresters to make the forest in the Ludwigsburg district climate-ready!" emphasizes Nill. "With our mixed forests rich in hardwoods, we have good conditions for this."