The aerial photo shows the dying birch population in the Hirschgarten Dreieck (Köpenick) Photo: Ralf Gunther
From Hildburg Bruns
Birches are always the first. In terms of growth, but unfortunately also in terms of dying.
It’s a tragedy in Berlin’s woods. For example in Köpenick at the Hirschgarten triangle. A whole stock is dying there, as the drone recording shows.
But you can also see it on many forest edges along railway lines. The birches are completely bare, many trunks have already fallen.
Why does it hit these striking trees with the light-colored, split bark? “The birch is a tree species that requires a lot of water,” says Thorsten Wiehle from the state forest office. “In this respect, it suffers more from the changing precipitation conditions.”
Many birch trees have already fallen or have been felled. Wooden shoes and clothespins used to be made from the wood Photo: Ralf Gunther
Another reason: their short lifespan. Birch trees are specialized in quickly populating open spaces. As a so-called pioneer tree species, it can shoot up seven meters in six years. But over its lifetime, it will be outstripped by longer-lived tree species.
However, the foresters are certain that the birch will not die out in Berlin’s forests. Wiehle: “There are still enough birch trees in the forest for renewed regeneration to take place. This is visible in many places.”
By the way, among the street trees in Berlin, the birch ranks sixth after lime, maple, oak, sycamore and chestnut. There, however, it only makes up three percent of the stock.
