This webinar is hosted by Phil Morgan of CCFG and features guest forester Hinrich Joost Bärwald. Hinrich takes a walk through the forest with owner Holger Weinauge. This is our first live visit to a forest, so we are learning about the best way to deliver such a webinar.
The following topics will be discussed:
- Privatization after reunification
- Consistent conversion to permanent forestry
- Measures for effective hunting
- Silvicultural measures to prepare for climate change
- AFI plot and marteloscopes
- Forestry certificate based on the ANW principles (permanent forest)
Our guest forester from Germany who leads the excursion is Hinrich Joost Bärwald. Hinrich manages 6,000 ha of privately owned forest in the north of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany) with an annual harvesting rate of ca. 30,000 cubic metres. He is the Chairman of the forestry association in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and also the Chairman of the ANW (nature based forest management) - Country group for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (www.anw-mv.de) and a board member of ANW (Germany). Hinrich is also managing director of the local forest management cooperative Behrenwalde Bad Doberan.
Our host Holger Weinauge owns Kalebsburg Forest, a 290 ha forest close to “Burg Schlitz” Castle, which he bought after the reunification of Germany. He also developed a close to nature certification system, which is based on the ANW rules in Germany. Holger also manages a 3,300 ha privately owned forest in the middle of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany) with an annual harvesting rate of ca. 10-15,000 cubic metres. He is a board member of the forestry association of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and managed the local forest management cooperative Waldverein Bansow.
Loacation of the forest: goo.gl/maps/8RUsbG3r6SvZm1VEA
For more background reading on German forests, please use this link
00:00 Introduction from Phil Morgan
03:30 Hinrich begins and introduces Holge Weinauge and Christian Albrecht
05:15 Map indicating general forest location
06:54 Natural regeneration (due to high hunting regime) of Abies alba, sycamore and beech - and some of the conditions leading to the high level of natural regeneration
10:22 Horse logging - one of the methods to protect the soil structure
11:34 The scale of hunting in the forest to reduce browsing
12:21 Percentage of forested land in the states of Germany
12:58 Some large trees can grow very close together; these probably have merged root systems which aids stability
13:53 Forest area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania compared with Germany as a whole
15:45 Mixed species in the forest - pine, spruce and beech, high level of natural regeneration
17:33 Photograph from 2008 showing lack of natural regeneration
18:11 Photograph from summer showing dense natural regeneration
19:30 Hinrich invites Phil to ask some questions as they walk
20:40 History of land reform in Germany after reunification in 1998
23:30 Deer density - Holge hunts around 20 deer per 100ha every year (in one large annual hunt)
24:40 Mix of species regenerating naturally and whether there is a preference/ how it is managed
26:03 Percentage of different tree species in the canopy layer - 49% conifer, 51% broadleaved. Buche = beech; Eiche = oak; Fichte = spruce; Kiefe = pine; Larche = larch; Douglasie = Douglas Fir
27:08 Explanation of AFI plot and marteloscopes
32:55 Further silvicultural questions from Phil about the species mix and whether Holge is happy with the mix or attempting to influence it
34:30 Holge's desire to introduce trees of species and origins that will thrive under predicted climate change (Abies alba from Calabrian origin, Fagus orientalis)
37:46 Retained lying dead wood in the forest - to help cool the forest
38:57 The main changes introduced by Holge: 1, hunting; 2, no clearfell; 3, protecting soils; 4, dead lying and standing wood - promoting biodiversity - insects, bats, fungi; 5, working with trees which are resistant to climate change
42:38 Fagus orientalis compared to Fagus sylvatica
43:59 Phil asks a question about enrichment planting - Holge's approach to choosing planting spots for new species
48:44 A question about the most frequent regenerating species - how strong is sycamore?
49:18 Chart showing proportions of tree species regenerating naturally
50:05 There are 25 species that naturally regenerate in the forest
52:30 Bronze age burial site
52:58 A question about Holge's relationship with local contractors and availability of skilled workers
54:40 Old Douglas-fir specimens (70-90 years old, 46m high)
56:04 The 10 - 30% of the oldest, biggest trees that are retained throughout the forest to provide services (the heart of the forest)
59:13 Thanks
1:00:01 Holge's approach - after buying the forest at significant expense, a certain amount of decapitalisation, while maintaining continuous forest cover, and this reduction in basal area has allowed regeneration to develop naturally - and goodbyes