The Westwald in Darmstadt is now in a “very critical condition”, the situation in the East Forest is not so bad, but considerable damage can also be seen there.

That is the delicate summary of the annual report on the state of the city forest, which was presented to the environmental committee of the city council for information on Wednesday.

Jochen Remert

Airport editor and correspondent Rhein-Main-Süd.

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Together with the Northwest German Forest Research Institute in Göttingen, municipal authorities have developed a sampling strategy in order to be able to draw up a detailed report on the state of the forest.

In the period between mid-July and mid-August last year, it was possible for the second time to “closely survey the condition of the forest in the Darmstadt city forest”, as Michael Kolmer (Die Grünen), head of the environmental and climate protection department, explains.

More heat waves and long droughts

According to Kolmer, the results of the investigation of the climatically very different areas of the western and eastern forest are "not surprising and yet alarming".

Above all, the western forest, which stretches across the Rhine plain on dry, substrate-poor soil, is in a “very critical condition”.

The damage there is higher than that shown by the Hessian forest condition report for the state as a whole.

This report also gives cause for considerable concern.

According to Kolmer, the significant damage to the forests is mainly due to changed climatic conditions.

Specifically, more summer heat waves and long droughts together with mild winter weather and low rainfall in spring in the years 2018 to 2020 led to significant stress on the forests.

In the west forest, which is characterized by sandy soils, only 34 percent of the trees were not damaged at all or only slightly damaged by three summers that were significantly too dry and too hot.

37 percent of the trees, on the other hand, are already "moderately" affected, and 15 percent show major damage.

14 percent of the trees were even completely dead at the time of the study.

High cockchafer population

In contrast, according to the report, 58 percent of the trees recorded in the Ostwald are healthy or only slightly damaged.

Here and there, the course of the weather during the growing season last year, with an above-average amount of rain and an averagely hot summer, only eased the situation slightly.

Another cause for concern is the finding that there are few young plants in the entire urban forest, in the denser eastern forest and also in the much sparser western forest, which means that young plants there actually get sunlight more easily.

According to the information, the described climatic changes and a sometimes very high May beetle population are reflected there.

Despite the tricky balance sheet, deadwood can still have positive environmental effects, according to department head Kolmer.

Dead trees provide a habitat for rare animals and plants.

In addition, deadwood lying on the forest floor improves the water balance.