General drought and the current heat wave are not a good combination for the Lower Austrian forests. In addition to rain, the trees also need groundwater so that they are adequately supplied. However, things are not looking good for this one. For several years now, the forest floor has not been able to store enough water in autumn and winter due to little precipitation and little snow. In the summer, these water reserves are finally lacking.
“This year we are lucky that occasional rains save the trees from one week to the next,” says Felix Montecuccoli, CEO of “Land & Forst Betriebsbetriebe Österreich” to noe.ORF.at. “But despite the rain, the trees have problems. It’s just enough to survive, but there are no risk reserves,” the expert continued.
Consequences in the forests already visible
The forests in the eastern Vienna Woods, the Semmering and the Rosaliengebirge are currently particularly badly affected. Here are tall trees with deep roots that would need care accordingly. The consequences of the drought are now also clearly visible: in many forests, the leaves are already changing color in July, and some beech and ash trees are already shedding their leaves.
forests on fire
It’s getting hotter on earth, which is now also evident in the forest. While there have always been wildfires in the world, climate change can quickly turn a small fire into a major disaster, as trees are often damaged by drought and winds fuel the fires. In Austria, too, there are around 200 forest fires every year.
However, the drought not only has consequences for the condition of the forest, but also for the entire ecosystem. The evaporation from the heat is greater than the inflow to ponds and rivers. A lower water level and increased water temperature are the consequences here. This in turn creates a serious situation for many fish, which get too warm or have too little space in the water.
The forest managers want to help the forests. “But it’s a huge management task,” says Montecucolli. Among other things, trees are planted that can better withstand the drought. However, these are not necessarily new tree species. In addition, the aim is to keep water in the regions for as long as possible in order to create pools and ponds.
Weakened trees more susceptible to pests
Gernot Hoch, head of the institute at the Federal Research Center for Forests (BFW), also confirms the tense situation in the forests. In some cases, drought damage is even irreversible. And once the trees have been weakened by the heat, they are even more susceptible to pests. “But we won’t see the full impact until next year,” Hoch told noe.ORF.at.
According to him, when reforesting, it is not only important to pay attention to adaptation, but also to mixing. “Because we cannot estimate what effects the drought will still have,” Hoch concludes.