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Monitoring, biodiversity and climate protection: City confirms success of ecological forest management
and research, presented a comprehensive interim report on its " Darmstadt Forest Master Plan" Michael Kolmer , head of the environmental and green spaces department, Anke Bosch (head of the green spaces office), and Dr. Andreas Rais (head of the forestry, biotope protection, and urban trees department) assessed the concept as a clear success in terms of climate protection, biodiversity, and public acceptance.
The starting point for this guiding principle is the massive strain on the forests in the Rhine-Main region: drought, disrupted water balances, and structural damage are increasingly affecting Darmstadt's city forest as well. With this forest guiding principle, the city aims to secure the forest as a habitat, a climate protection factor, and a recreational area for the long term.
A key component is the preservation of deadwood , which remains in the forest and serves as a habitat for numerous species. The current forest management plan for 2025 indicates 64 cubic meters of deadwood per hectare in the western forest – a figure significantly above the national average. A large proportion of this deadwood is already in the early or advanced stages of decomposition.
“Fungi and bacteria transform the wood into humus, thus improving soil structure and water retention. At the same time, woodpeckers and insects benefit, so that biodiversity measurably increases,” says Kolmer.
213 cubic meters per hectare, the timber volume in the city forest is significantly above the Hessian average. The eastern part of the forest contributes particularly to this above-average figure. Furthermore, the forest soils are recovering due to the cessation of timber harvesting, as damage from heavy machinery is significantly reduced.
A detailed operational inventory carried out for the first time in 2025. It provides reliable data on tree species, stocks, growth and deadwood and will form the basis for long-term monitoring in the future.
Anke Bosch emphasizes: “Forests react slowly. All the more remarkable are the structural changes we can already observe today. The Darmstadt city forest is developing into a model for ecologically oriented forest management.”
An additional success factor is the broad support among the population. Thanks to the intensive public debate of recent years, the guiding principle of the forest is firmly established in Darmstadt.
"The guiding principle shows that sustainable forest management works when ecology, climate protection and social consensus work together," explains Kolmer.
For Dr. Rais, the guiding principle is a lived reality: "Our employees implement it on site every day. This is how the forest will continue to fulfill its functions for climate, nature and society in the future."
In the coming years, monitoring will be further expanded and cooperation with research and nature conservation institutions will be deepened. Furthermore, the involvement of the public remains a key priority.
“The forest of the future is a community project,” said Kolmer. “It lives not only from its trees, but from the people who protect and value it.”
(Darmstadt - Red/PSD/Stip)
