The strategies for adapting forest management to climate change are similar in both the Czech Republic and Saxony
One of the greatest threats to forestry today is climate change, which primarily manifests as prolonged droughts and rising temperatures, along with an increased frequency of extreme weather events. These changes lead to heightened pest activity in drought-affected forests and the introduction of new invasive species. Additionally, high populations of ungulates make natural forest regeneration and recovery after disturbances nearly impossible. They also complicate artificial regeneration efforts aimed at increasing tree species diversity.
Photo: Line planting of various broadleaf species along hiking trails in the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory), Saxony, author Jan Řezáč
The development and maintenance of ecosystem services that are vital to the functionality of cultural landscapes are significantly jeopardized. These services include preserving the quantity and quality of groundwater, maintaining balanced runoff patterns, and ensuring water retention in the landscape, not just during heavy rainfall. On one hand, there is an increasing demand for wood and wood products; on the other hand, there is a growing emphasis on providing environmental services as a primary mission of forestry.
In this context, applied forestry research and forest monitoring are becoming increasingly important. Their role is to generate new scientific insights and effectively communicate these to practitioners and the general public. Therefore, forestry research should bridge the gap between various stakeholders, including forest managers, owners, scientists from diverse disciplines, nature conservationists, and the broader professional community.
Dr Dirk Roger Eisenhauer, the Director of the Saxon State Forests Competence Centre (Kompetenční centrum Saských státních lesů), and Assoc. Prof. Vít Šrámek, the Director of the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute (Výzkumný ústav lesního hospodářství a myslivosti v. v. i. /FGMRI/VÚLHM/), provide an assessment of the current situation in forestry and forestry research. In their introduction to the proceedings titled “Nové aspekty lesnického hospodaření v oblasti hercynských pohoří – Poznatky výzkumu a možnosti adaptace na změnu klimatu” (New aspects of forest management in the Hercynian mountain region: research findings and climate change adaptation options), they summarize the existing state of affairs. The insights from German scientists included in this publication are particularly relevant to the Czech context.
Photo: Transforming forests is only feasible with strict management of game populations; Ore Mountains (Krušné hory), Saxony, author Jan Řezáč
Deer Management Project for Forest Conversion
An ambitious forest conversion program was initiated in the state forests of the Free State of Saxony in the early 1990s. However, the conditions for this program were unfavourable in the mountainous regions of southern Saxony. In many areas, the dominant spruce trees were either dead or severely damaged due to pollution-induced forest decline. To make matters worse, the deer population had become excessively large.
Efforts to reduce the deer population to a level that the forest could sustainably support sparked significant opposition from various segments of the organized hunting community as well as from conservation groups. Since 2015, this conflict has intensified, leading to petitions, articles in daily newspapers, coverage in hunting media, online and social media campaigns, numerous parliamentary inquiries, and widespread criminal complaints.
To enable targeted development of red deer management within this unsatisfactory and contradictory situation – while prioritising the successful transformation of forests in the Ore Mountains and the Elbe Sandstones – Saxony State Forests launched the “Red Deer Management for Forest Transformation” project in 2016, in cooperation with the Department of Forest Zoology at the Technical University of Dresden.
Photo: European mountain ash regeneration under Norway spruce requiring no protection against game; Ore Mountains, Saxony, author: Jan Řezáč
Forest restructuring and deer population management are closely interdependent. It is essential that any reduction in excessive game populations is accompanied by extensive habitat improvement measures, such as enhancing tree species composition, forest structure, and ground vegetation. First, however, the game density must be aligned with the habitat’s carrying capacity, allowing for potential increases through strategies like forest restructuring or more intensive use of open areas.
Since the project’s conclusion in 2018, German scientists have noted a positive trend in Saxony’s state forests. Game numbers have been successfully reduced through measures such as establishing exclusive hunting grounds, issuing hunting permits with mandatory minimum harvest quotas, and providing partial fee rebates to hunters who exceed these quotas.
Despite this progress, there are still hostile attitudes between some foresters and hunters—those focused on forest management and those focused on game management. In the age of social media, these conflicts are often exaggerated in the digital space. However, a consistent, ecologically oriented deer management strategy, which includes monitoring, population control, and spatial planning, has yet to be successfully implemented at the federal state level anywhere in Germany.
Adapting forestry objectives to climate change in the Saxon Uplands
The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts and heatwaves have caused significant damage to forests, especially since 2018. In Saxony, the average annual temperature rose by 1°C, from 8.2°C to 9.2°C, between the climate normal periods of 1961–1990 and 1991–2020. This trend is expected to continue through the end of the 21st century, with projections indicating temperature increases of up to 5°C. Actual warming is occurring even faster than anticipated; indeed, temperatures during the last decade (2011–2020) were approximately 1.6°C higher (9.8°C) than those in the 1961–1990 reference period, surpassing the values predicted by climate models.
As temperatures rise, the atmosphere becomes “thirstier,” as it can hold 7% more water vapour for every degree of warming. This significantly impacts the climatic water balance, which is the difference between precipitation and potential evaporation. As a result, the precipitation deficit worsens due to increased evaporation rates caused by higher temperatures.
The climatic conditions necessary for the formation of typical forest communities are undergoing significant changes due to climate change. Forestry typology, planning, and management practices must adapt to these evolving conditions. In the Saxon State Forests, this issue is addressed by comparing the current state of forest stands with their target state.
Photo: Planting of wild cherry is also tested, Ore Mountains (Krušné hory), Saxony, author Jan Řezáč
The target forest state (“Zielzustand”) defines the optimal tree and shrub species composition and forest structure for a specific site, considering both the current climate and projected climatic trends. This composition should reflect the site’s characteristics and climatic conditions while also incorporating management strategies aimed at risk mitigation through species and structural diversity, as well as potential future ecological benefits, such as the introduction of non-native tree species. The target state is compared to the current baseline state, and the difference between the two indicates the development potential. This comparison serves as the foundation for determining specific silvicultural measures.
The management system utilizes the extensive experience of local foresters, whose knowledge of regional conditions and climatic characteristics helps determine the ideal species composition. For instance, the European beech has exhibited signs of decline and dieback in the North Saxon Lowlands in recent years due to increasing drought. Local insights allow for a more nuanced differentiation of beech sites within targeted forest structures based on the species’ tolerance to drought.
A key focus of this approach is the consistent promotion of tree species diversity, aiming to increase the proportion of broadleaved trees to 60% in the long term, up from just 32% in 2022. In addition to adjusting species composition, another priority for adapting to climate change is to diversify the age and height structure of forest stands. The goal is to establish climate-resilient stands characterized by significant structural diversity.
The proceedings titled “Nové aspekty lesnického hospodaření v oblasti hercynských pohoří – Poznatky výzkumu a možnosti adaptace na změnu klimatu” (New aspects of forest management in the Hercynian mountain region: research findings and climate change adaptation options) can be downloaded here.
Prepared by Jan Řezáč, VÚLHM, v. v. i., e-mail: rezac@vulhm.cz; based on the original.