In the case of forest management, which takes place every ten years, the current situation is recorded and a plan for further management in the communal forest is drawn up. André Eickmann from the Freiburg regional council, together with the district forester Jürgen Bucher and forestry director Michael Kilian from the Staufen forest district, presented the forest management for the municipal forest of Ebringen for the years 2021 to 2030 to the council.
Community forest Ehaben:
The community forest covers an area of 434 hectares and is located in the area of Schönberg and the area towards Wittnau. 76 percent of the forest consists of deciduous trees. The main tree species are beech with a share of 49 percent, fir, sycamore maple, English oak, spruce, Douglas fir and various deciduous tree species.
The Ebringer Forest is used intensively for recreation, especially by the population from Freiburg. At the same time, the forest area is the habitat of numerous protected species such as the Bechstein’s bat, the great mouse-eared bat, the yellow-bellied toad or the ciliated bat, as well as orchids. Around 90 percent of the forest area is a landscape protection area and flora-fauna-habitat area, plus the “Jennetal” and “Berghauser Matten” nature reserves with 54 hectares. In the protected areas, a management plan reconciles species protection and wood use. Cave trees are preserved and nesting aids are installed. The use is cautious, mainly single logs, dead wood is promoted.
Waldumbau:
As a result of the heat years 2018/2019 – which are only the temporary climax of a chain of stressful events for the beech on the Schönberg – some of the more than 100-year-old beeches on the Schönberg began to die off. A damaging event that attracted a great deal of attention nationwide. In the meantime, similar damage can be complained about in dry locations all over Germany. As a result, around 4,500 cubic meters of wood had to be felled in 2019, around two and a half times as much wood as was actually planned. “In the meantime, the dried beeches have largely been felled, where they pose no danger, and some have been left standing,” says Jürgen Bucher, “on two thirds of the area we can rely on natural regeneration and use this free gift from nature, the rest of the area is shared climate-stable tree species such as oak, linden, cherry, service tree, norway maple and Douglas fir. ”
Not only the beeches, but also the 100 to 120 year old fir trees in the community forest of Ebringen are dying off on a large scale. In 2020 and 2021, in the Jungholz and Schulbach district between Berghauser Matten and Bollschweil, the forester had to cut down large areas of fir forest that died due to drought and the associated bark beetle infestation. “The beetle infestation is forcing us to take action now, which we had only planned for the next ten years. I would have preferred it differently and am surprised myself how quickly the fir trees were damaged within a few months, ”says Jürgen Bucher. The areas have already been partially replanted with oak, service tree, Douglas fir. In order to protect the young trees from being bitten by game, they were provided with growth covers or fenced. At the same time, individual trees and smaller stands are rejuvenated in a targeted manner. The wide range of tree species in the present and future community forest stabilizes operations against damage from storms or insect damage and thus makes a decisive contribution to the climate resilience of the forest. “Forestry and the use of wood are active climate protection. 125,000 tons of CO2 are currently stored in the Ebringer Forest. Through the use of wood, around 3,000 tons of CO2 are stored annually in durable products that replace materials that are harmful to the climate, such as steel and aluminum, ”emphasizes Forest Director Michael Kilian.
Use:
In the past ten years, the plan was to use 28,000 cubic meters of wood; due to the numerous incidents of damage, this had to be increased by a good quarter. Because more wood was felled, the planting area has almost doubled. The rapid regeneration of damaged stands and the creation of crops will continue to determine business activities for a few years to come. This forest conversion, which goes hand in hand with the planting of climate-stable tree species and the care of young stands, will shape the coming decade.
Planning:
In the coming decade, the foresters are planning a logging of 29,500 cubic meters. The focus will be on the regeneration of damaged forest stands. By using the value potential of the old stocks, the expenses for crops are initially offset by income for financing. In the future, the income will be generated more from thinning yields than from the use of old stands. The municipality’s goal of achieving a balanced budget result on average for a decade will be more difficult than in the last decade due to increased expenditure on cultivation and maintenance, but should be possible with the planning presented given a stable wood market and current wood prices.
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