Forests as climate protec­tors – how trees can save the climate

Forests in Climate Change

We depend on forests – they give us wood, bind CO₂, store water, regulate tempe­ra­tures, provide habitat for many species – and are thus an indis­pensable part of the neces­sary climate adapt­a­tion measures. We need them. How well they can cope with climate change is influenced by the struc­ture of the forest.

Mixed deciduous forests: All-rounders in climate change

• Humus forma­tion: Leaves and branches fall to the ground and are decom­posed by count­less living organisms into fertile humus.
• Cooling effect: Leaves reflect sunlight and evapo­rate water through their leaves – this cools and also lowers the ambient tempe­ra­ture. Deciduous trees cool more effec­tively than conifers.
• Water storage: Mixed deciduous forests store rain, release some of it to ground­water and thus protect against flooding and drying out – better than conife­rous forests.
• Resili­ence: Mixed deciduous forests with diffe­rent species are more stable against storms, drought and pests, because the risk of damage is distri­buted across diffe­rent species.

Monocul­tures: Little protec­tion, high risk

Many forests today were estab­lished as managed forests – often with pines or spruces in neat rows. These monocul­tures:

• are more suscep­tible to storm, drought damage and pests,
• have a lower water storage capacity,
• harbour fewer species
• and are less climate-resilient than mixed deciduous forests.

Forest conver­sion close to nature

A climate-resilient forest of the future is species-rich and as close to nature as possible. Trinkwasserwald e.V. is committed to conver­ting conifer monocul­tures into resilient mixed deciduous forests in order to protect wood, water and biodi­ver­sity in the long term.

Conclu­sion: Forests are not just a backdrop

Forests are active allies in climate change. Those who plant deciduous trees plant the future: through climate-resilient CO₂ binding and by streng­thening natural, living ecosys­tems.