Transparency in detail

Environment

9 PATURI, F. R. 1985: The Forest (1) Stuttgart:

Deutscher Bücherbund Stuttgart München

The forest

Did you know that a fully grown deciduous tree with a leaf area of about

1.000 m2 provides enough oxygen for 40 people on sunny days and that its

crown can filter about 240 kg of dust out of the air in a year? Have you ever

thought about how much forest area there is left in Germany and whether it

is getting smaller or larger? What is a sustainably managed forest and what

is a virgin forest? What are their special features and what is the signifi-

cance of the forest for the environment and for us humans?

There is much more behind the word forest than most of us realise. The

forest not only offers people a diverse recreational space and is a valuable

cultural asset. Above all, it is a highly complex ecosystem that reacts very

sensitively to external influences such as climate or soil changes. Yet it

fulfills a multitude of important functions for us and the environment. The

forest is a habitat for many animal and plant species and offers us protec-

tion against storms, avalanches, soil erosion and floods. It promotes drinking

water quality and has a positive impact on the global, regional, and local

climate.

We humans could also learn a lot from the "social structures" of trees

among themselves! See "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben,

published by Ingram Publisher.

The forest is a noise and dust filter in one, stores

solar energy and is considered an effective

pollutant and CO

2

sink. And finally, in addition

to tree resins, mushrooms, cork and many

different fruits, it provides one of the most

sustainable and versatile building materials of

all, wood.

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