Forest Resources and Climate Protection

The unit Forest Resources and Climate Protection contains of three subgroups; Inventories, Data and Reporting.

The subgroup Inventories developes the scientific base and methodologies for the National Forest Inventory and the intermediate subsamples. It coordinates the work on inventories in close cooperation with the federal states.

The subgroup on Data is responsible for the data management of the inventories. It drives the development of own and / or integration of third party models as well as the preparation and analysis of various forest inventory data and model results.

The subgroup on Reports prepares the forest-related parts of the German National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and reports on the implementation of the national climate protection goals in the forest and timber sector, including projections on the future development of forests in Germany.

Forest resources and climate protection

National Forest Inventory

Every ten years we measure and count a sample of trees in the forest. Bund and Länder (federal states) require this data for the design of forest policy. The data is also used for strategic investment and location decisions in the timber industry.

Forest Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Forests are important reservoirs of carbon and fix greenhouse gases. Changes in forest cover, forest growth and forest management practices result in changes of carbon stocks and lead to greenhouse gas emissions and sinks. By signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, Germany committed to report on these changes annually.