Germany’s Forests in Focus: Results of the Fourth National Forest Inventory

The new National Forest Inventory reveals both positive and concerning findings. Let’s start with the encouraging developments: The share of deciduous trees in Germany has increased by 7 %. At the same time, new forest generations are primarily emerging through natural regeneration. The amount of deadwood has also increased by one third compared to the last inventory. Deadwood is a crucial component for biodiversity and provides habitat for many insects, fungi, and microorganisms. These positive developments show that forest managers are increasingly focusing on close-to-nature concepts to build more resilient ecosystems—moving away from pure timber yield optimization.

However, there are also serious challenges. The impacts of climate change have left visible marks. Spruce trees have been particularly affected: Drought and bark beetle infestations led to widespread dieback between 2018 and 2021, causing the share of spruce to decline by 17 %.

Particularly alarming: "Since 2017, the forest has turned into a carbon source primarily due to the loss of living biomass caused by the climate crisis." Several extreme weather events, such as droughts and storms, as well as associated insect invasions, have caused widespread damage. As a result, entire forest areas have died, and significant amounts of damaged timber had to be removed to prevent the further spread of harmful insects.

These findings clearly show that forests in Germany are under immense pressure. To counteract this, it is essential to consistently advance existing measures, such as forest restructuring and reforestation.

The inventory report warns: “A further increase in the forest’s carbon stocks, as seen in the past, is not expected in the future due to the aging of forest stands, the decline of spruce, and the consequences of recent drought years.” This assessment highlights the urgent need for stronger action.

Through our projects, forest owners commit to maintaining or expanding a stable stock in their forests. By promoting close-to-nature and climate-resilient forest management, we aim to prevent further stock depletion and restore and strengthen the forest as a carbon sink. By broadening the economic significance of forests beyond timber production to include carbon storage and other ecosystem services, we create an additional perspective that supports the sustainable protection and conservation of the forest.

Get in touch with us today to find out how our forest measures can become your climate solution and ensure that our forests can once again become the strong carbon sinks we need!

Here is the full report of the Fourth National Forest Inventory by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL): Link to the report.