The federal Ministry of Agriculture announced that the proportion of deadwood in German forests has continued to decrease over the past year. In 2025 alone, approximately 9.7 million cubic meters of disaster wood accumulated nationwide, which corresponds to roughly 14,000 hectares that require replanting.
This marks a noticeable drop compared to previous years; in 2023, the volume of disaster wood stood at 34.8 million cubic meters, and it decreased further to about 23.1 million cubic meters in 2024. This trend was particularly pronounced among conifers, such as spruce, as many older trees had died in the preceding years. Contributing factors to the decline include a dry spring in 2025 and more frequent rainfall during the summer, which limited the proliferation of the bark beetle.
In response, the Ministry is actively promoting the transformation of forests toward mixed stands that are resilient to climate change. Federal funding supports this effort: up to €100 million is available through the “Improvement of Agricultural Structure and Coastal Protection” (GAK) program, running through 2026. Additionally, the “Climate-Adapted Forest Management” program offers supplementary payment for climate protection and biodiversity services.
