Hidden danger: drought threatens to the Ostalb forests despite green!

Hidden danger: drought threatens to the Ostalb forests despite green!

The rains of the past two weeks have ensured a certain relaxation in the Ostalb forests, but numerous experts warn of a much more serious threat: the drought in the deeper layers of the soil. According to the SWR , the water level remains alarming at depths over 30 cm, which in view.

"Although the trees look green and healthy, we have extreme drought conditions in the deeper layers of the soil," reported Ernst Buck, board member of the Ulm-Ehingen farmers' association, about the "dusty" conditions that plague the ground. Hubert Kucher, responsible for the regions of Ostalb and Heidenheim, emphasizes the urgent need for further precipitation. This assessment is supported by the forest department of the Ostalbkreis, which makes a worrying forecast for forest health.

The drought-misere

The Dürremonitor of the Helmholtz Institute documents that in some regions of the Ostalb district a heavy drought in the soils was found up to 1.80 meters depth. In the western area, the conditions are even so critical that there is talk of extreme drought. The causes of these misery are above all the lack of moisture, which means that the pores of the floor can close and the water can only flow on the surface.

"The persistent drought could lead to irreversible damage to our trees," warns Buck. In particular, the experience from the previous year, as a drastically, was drastically suffering, shows the risk here. A lack of water that lasts over four to six weeks is an immense danger. In such phases, this can lead to incurable injuries that weaken the immune system of the trees and make them susceptible to diseases

climate change and drought factors

The drought is not just a local problem, but a global phenomenon. According to the Environmental Federal Agency affects climate change decisively. It leads to higher evaporation loss and changes the pattern of precipitation. Forecasts show that the risk of droughts with increasing global warming increases, which, according to the sixth status report of the World Climate Dary (AR6), is particularly oppressive for certain regions.

In addition, drought disaster not only affect nature, but also have a lasting effect on agriculture, health and even the entire economy. Indirect consequences could spread further and put society under pressure. Regional predictions and drought management plans play a crucial role in meeting the challenges.

The role of extreme weather events

drought is only a facet of the multi -layered weather extreme, which, thanks to global warming, is increasingly encountering us. According to a Study of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemie, the carbon absorption of the land ecosystems is drastically reduced by extreme weather events such as drought and heat waves. Around 11 billion tons of less carbon dioxide are incurred annually, which corresponds to one third of the global annual emissions.

With the coming weekend, over 30 degrees have been announced in the region, which could still tighten the situation. The view of a possible cooling could bring light into the dark, but the trees now need quick support to defy the drought and stabilize the condition. Irrversible damage can only be averted through targeted measures and the ecosystem in the Ostalb continues to thrive.