Climate-friendly forests: Sauerland project shows amazing results!

Climate-friendly forests: Sauerland project shows amazing results!

The project to create a climate-resistant mixed forest in the Rumbeck teaching and experimental area is entering the next round. An innovative project initiated by the Center for Forestry and Wood Industry NRW and supported both financially and personally by the Arnsberg lighting manufacturer TRILUX. On an area of ​​16,000 square meters, which is equivalent to around 2.2 football fields, experiments are being carried out with different tree species in order to meet the challenges of climate change, as Radiosauerland reports.

The basic idea behind the project is to combine native oaks with tree species from warmer and drier regions. The focus is on the different plots: three out of four areas were planted differently. Both native species such as hornbeam, Norway maple and spar, as well as exotic trees such as sweet chestnut, tree hazel, Atlas cedar and giant arborvitae are used. The fourth plot remains unplanted so that natural reforestation can be observed.

First results and challenges

After two years of observation, some remarkable results were obtained. The native species in particular are robust and developing well. However, there were also high failures for some exotic tree species: the sweet chestnut has a failure rate of 44%, followed by the giant arborvitae with 38% and the atlas cedar with 29%. In contrast, the tree hazel impresses with only 4% failures. Frost, pest infestation and the quality of the seedlings are suspected to be the reasons for the high failure rates.

Another exciting detail: The black pine achieved more growth in the first half of 2025 than in the entire previous year. These developments illustrate the importance of precise planning when choosing tree species, which must be selected according to current and future climatic conditions, as Artenglück knows.

Naturalness as the key to success

But it's not just the selection of tree species that plays a crucial role. The project also takes into account the promotion of natural regeneration. Optimally prepared soil and protective measures against game browsing are crucial in creating space for plants to grow. This includes hand pruning of blackberry bushes and the timely construction of fences.

This holistic approach, which focuses on diversity and mixed culture, has numerous advantages: mixed plantings increase genetic diversity and make the forest more resilient to environmental changes. They also reduce the risk of pest infestation and promote productivity, as can be found in various studies.

The project is scheduled to run until 2033 and aims to ultimately provide a demonstration area for sustainable forestry as the “Forest of the Future”. Future studies will shed light on the competition between different tree species for light, space and nutrients. Monitoring the progress of reforestation is essential in order to be able to react to problems at an early stage and develop adaptation strategies.

The results to date show that we are on the right track. In summary, we can say: There is something going on in the Rumbeck forest and it will bring us a lot of exciting insights!