Sonneberg District: Forest dieback is reaching alarming proportions!

Sonneberg District: Forest dieback is reaching alarming proportions!

In Germany the situation in the forests is becoming increasingly dramatic. The Sonneberg district in particular is most affected by forest damage. According to a current analysis by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), a whopping 45 percent of the tree population was lost here between autumn 2017 and 2024. These losses are more than five times higher than the German average inSouth Thuringia reported.

Overall, forests in Germany have lost around 900,000 hectares in the last seven years, which corresponds to 8.5 percent of the total forest area. In addition to Sonneberg, the Harz Mountains and the southeast of Thuringia are particularly badly affected. The study shows that damage caused by drought and pests has increased in various regions, which of course has left its mark, and not too little. Losses have almost doubled since 2021, making us all sit up and take notice The Thuringians explained in detail.

A shadow over the woods

A grim fact: In many communities, the proportion of “canopy loss” in the entire forest is over 50 percent. In Oberharz am Brocken, a shocking 61 percent were documented. Even if young plants settle in the affected areas, they are still not counted as regrowth because they are often too small during the observation period. What remains are mainly stressed trees, which have become even more vulnerable to pests due to the drought and increasing extreme weather, which leads to death and emergency felling.

But what exactly is behind this alarming development? Let's look at the current situation in changing climate: Extreme weather events, including unusually severe droughts, heat waves and storms, are responsible for the death of trees. Mixed forests are considered to be more resilient, while monocultures, especially spruce, suffer greatly because they have less resistance to pests, as can also be seen in the reports from ForestWatch shows.

New technologies to save forests

In order to cope with the crisis, modern technologies are being used. ForestWatch is a free service that provides valuable information by monitoring forest conditions. This platform uses a Sentinel-2 satellite time series and enables precise observation of forest conditions with a level of detail of 10 meters. The data helps, among other things, to assess the vitality of trees and monitor pests and dead wood. This makes forest management much more efficient without having to resort to expensive flights.

So while the situation remains worrying, the innovative approach to data analysis is a bright spot. The soil damage that occurred in the low mountain ranges after 1945 can now be better monitored in order to take possible reforestation measures. With the help of ForestWatch, private forest owners are intended to be supported in the management of their forests.

In summary: The challenges are great, and while the forests in Germany are under great pressure, there are also new approaches to create hope. Isn't it time we all did our part to help our forests? It is in our hands whether we as a generation continue to stand up for the well-being of our nature and our environment.