Niederwald

A mosaic-like habitat with many shrub species and flowering plants

Today's form of high forest is considered the pinnacle of forestry tradition. There are only very few tree species (beech, spruce, oak) - mostly of a uniform age. The trees are only felled after several generations of forest users. However, in order to meet their enormous demand for wood, people have used the forest in a completely different way for centuries. Hornbeam, oak, hazel, maple and others were cut every 10 to 30 years. The wood obtained in spring was used in a variety of ways: mostly as firewood or timber. Pruning was only ever carried out on a small scale. The coppice thus created was a mosaic-like habitat with many shrub species and flowering plants, which were able to develop thanks to the light-giving clearance. The coppice plots that are no longer used are now growing through and thus losing their special ecological value.

Further information: www.fahr-im-kreis.de