🌳 On International Forest Day, we reflect on the resilience of our forests and the importance of sustainable restoration practices.
🌪️ 🪵 In 2022, a devastating storm in northeastern Germany struck ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior), which had already been critically weakened by the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Three years later, we are testing multiple reforestation approaches to restore areas impacted by the widespread ash dieback phenomenon.
Three distinct strategies are being explored: one with no intervention, one with minimal intervention (deadwood extraction and fencing), and one with maximum intervention (deadwood removal, fencing, and planting).
The goal of these trials is to evaluate the long-term impacts of different management techniques and better understand how to mitigate the effects of ash dieback and promote healthier forests for the future.