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BioHolz:
Biodiversity and ecosystem functions of forests
Forests provide many ecosystem services for which deadwood is a key factor. More than 30% of Germany is covered with forest, but in most of the forests the annual volume of regrowing wood is almost completely harvested, leaving only small amounts of deadwood in the forest. This has negative consequences for the touristic, regulating and supporting ecological functions of forests - and of course for the species that depend on deadwood. In Germany, this is about one third of the approximately 20,000 species living in forests. Due to the small amounts of deadwood in managed forests, these species are considered to be highly endangered.
In the BioHolz project, research, forestry and nature conservation are collaborating on developing practice-oriented concepts for the sustainable use of forests. To this end, the role of wood in natural and economic processes is being investigated. Various options are being tested to increase the presence of deadwood as an important habitat, also in managed forests. The aim is to reconcile the different demands on forests from forestry, local recreation, tourism and nature conservation.
The findings of the project will be prepared and disseminated to various stakeholders, e.g. in guidelines for measures to support biodiversity.