Forest as cultural landscape & biodiversity:
'Revitalisation of the total dynamic of a traditional coppice with standards as a forest experience concept for recreation forests near urban centres'

Project frame

In recent years there has been a reappraisal of the value of the historical coppice with standards form of management. The rich structural diversity that develops as a result of coppice with standards management, with its characteristic old oaks and the high dynamic in the shrub and herb layers, provides habitats for many rare and endangered species. For the last number of years the Freiburg Forest Administration has been managing a former coppice with standards forest site of approximately 25 ha in the Opfinger Mooswald ('Breisgau' SAC) according to historical guidelines.

Project focus

The focus of this project is to examine the extent to which the nature conservation value of the forest can be optimised through the integration of the equally ancient use of forest as pasture. Pasturing leads to localised differences in nutrient levels, caused by the removal of nutrients in certain locations (grazing sites) and the deposition of nutrients in others (resting sites), and tread and hoof scars result in the exposure of the mineral soil locally. The outcome of these localised effects is the creation of further short lived dynamic elements and the formation of additional valuable structures and habitats, and as a consequence an increase in biodiversity.

Aims

The objective of the project is to revitalise the complete dynamic of a coppice with standards forest through the integration of forest pasture. A further aim is carry out a first comprehensive ecological evaluation of coppice with standards management (in its entirety) in order to derive suggestions for the possible improvement of the harvest and pasture management where necessary. The ecological evaluation includes the documentation of the vegetation, vegetation structure and the use of the space by bats and butterflies.
A third project aim is to test the extent to which coppice with standards and forest pasture - as restored historical landscape and forest elements - can promote the recreation function of the forest and link up with forest education issues relating to the ecologically-oriented demands for biodiversity.