DeutschlandPlus 2024 - Progress in the Thuringian Forest

Michael Stadler, responsible for the local forestry administration, and Jan-Philipp Ohrndorf, district manager of FBG Jüchsen, were also present. The municipality of Grabfeld owns around 2,000 hectares of forest, of which around 1,000 hectares belong to FBG Jüchsen.

A forest in transition - from monoculture to diversity

Our first stop took us to an area that was once dominated by spruce and beech. But drought and bark beetles have left devastating damage in their wake. In 2024, it was replanted with a climate-resilient mixture of tree species - including sessile oak, tree hazel, black locust and wild cherry.

A wooden fence protects the young trees from game browsing, while natural regeneration is already spreading in between. It is an exciting experiment: only time will tell which tree species will prevail in the long term and withstand the climatic challenges. But one thing is certain - diversity is the key to a sustainable forest.

In addition to their resilience, many of the planted tree species have a special ecological significance. With their flowers and fruit, wild fruit trees and robinia provide important food sources for insects, birds and other animals.

New tree species for a sustainable forest

A broad mix of tree species is also used in other areas. In addition to those already mentioned, wild pear, black walnut, rowan and even the giant arborvitae have also found their place here. What is particularly exciting is that some of these species are being planted on a trial basis to observe how they develop under local conditions.