Forest pasture revival: How Lower Saxony is bringing back biodiversity!

Forest pasture revival: How Lower Saxony is bringing back biodiversity!

Research teams from the universities of Göttingen and Kassel as well as the Northwest German Forest Research Institute (NW-FVA) have taken on the challenge of studying grazing in the forest. Loud University of Göttingen The main aim of this research is to conserve and restore biological diversity through grazing. In order to achieve these goals, a comprehensive survey of twelve animal owners in Lower Saxony and Hesse was carried out. These interviews shed light on the motivation, challenges and future prospects of forest grazing.

The results of this study were recently published in the journal “Nature Conservation and Landscape Planning”. Historically, many traditional forest pastures had to be abandoned in the 19th century, which led to a decline in both the knowledge and areas of the Hute forests. As a result, many of these forests are threatened with extinction. However, there are currently projects for forest pasture in several federal states, including in the Göttingen district, for example in the Bramwald and Kaufunger Wald.

Motivation and challenges

The greatest motivation of the animal owners surveyed is nature conservation and their personal interest in restoring traditional forms of land use. Many also see potential in better product marketing. However, these projects also face significant challenges. These include low financial profitability, high initial investment costs and a significant amount of work. There is also a noticeable lack of communication between the various actors in the area of ​​forest grazing.

A central wish of those surveyed is greater recognition in agricultural policy. In particular, they demand the possibility of applying for area and agri-environmental bonuses in order to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and enable earlier inclusion in the planning processes. Despite the difficulties expressed, almost all respondents are optimistic about the future of their projects and forest grazing as a whole. However, it turns out that rigid care and development plans tend to hinder practical experimentation and creative approaches.

Forest use and biodiversity

Another aspect that emerges in the context of forest use is the fact that the adaptability of forests is directly linked to their biological diversity. Loud Forest heritage Biodiversity is essential for the provision of ecosystem services such as wood production, carbon storage and water purification. This diversity is divided into three components: species diversity, genetic diversity within species and the diversity of the ecosystems themselves.

Forests that have high biodiversity are usually also structurally diverse. This means that they have horizontal heterogeneity and deadwood structures. Key species such as woodpeckers, wood ants and bees play an important role by taking on functions in the ecosystem. The loss of biodiversity therefore not only represents an ecological crisis, but also significantly limits irreplaceable ecosystem services.

The above-mentioned research projects aim to promote the preservation of biodiversity and exploit the ecological advantages of structurally rich mixed stands. It is becoming clear that sustainable forestry is of fundamental importance in order to secure biological diversity in the long term and to regain forms of forest use that have been lost over generations.

The relevance of this research underlines the need to support projects that aim to both revitalize historic forests and ensure the biodiversity of Germany's forests to stabilize their ecosystems.