Siegen-Wittgenstein: Only here does the forest grow against the climate crisis!

Siegen-Wittgenstein: Only here does the forest grow against the climate crisis!

Forests are very important in Siegen-Wittgenstein! With an impressive 71% forested area, the district surpasses all other regions in North Rhine-Westphalia, as radiosiegen.de reports. In total, the forest area here covers around 80,400 hectares, which means around 2,930 square meters per resident. A large part of these forest areas is privately owned and has a coniferous forest share of 43%, which is well above the NRW average of 31%.

But there are also dark sides: the current forest inventory shows changes that are sometimes worrying. Between 2012 and today the coniferous area has suffered greatly due to storms and the dreaded bark beetle. Despite these declines, Siegen-Wittgenstein remains comparatively more stable than other regions in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the Ruhr area only 22% and in Münsterland only 17% of the areas are forested.

The example in the context of the climate crisis

The forest in Siegen-Wittgenstein is not only an important natural asset, but also an indicator of the effects of the climate crisis. According to decarbonize-siegen.de, extremes such as the drought years since 2018 and the bark beetle infestation have led to a drastic change in forests. Between 2018 and 2021, forests lost more than 15,000 to 20,000 hectares, representing a quarter of the original area. Over six million cubic meters of wood had to be felled to repair the damage to the affected arcades.

Despite these challenges, there are many reforestation initiatives. A mix of tree species is used to promote ecological diversity and stability. At the same time, “breaker strips” of deciduous trees are planted to prevent future pest infestations. This is based on the model of the Lübeck city forest, which has been pursuing a natural forestry approach for over 25 years.

The challenge of reforestation

But this is not an easy undertaking. Financial resources and a secure blueprint for reforestation projects are lacking. The forest must adapt to changing climatic conditions, which means that faster-growing conifers and slower-growing deciduous trees are also integrated into reforestation strategies. Some areas are left to nature to recover, but this risks drying out more quickly.

The compatibility of forestry and nature conservation remains a central challenge. The aim is to create a forest that not only provides wood, but also increases biodiversity and responds more robustly to climatic changes. This is a balancing act that the Siegen-Wittgenstein region approaches with great commitment.