Biodiversity conservation and climate change in the floodplain forest of Leipzig

Abstract

The floodplain forest of Leipzig is strictly protected because of its high and unique biodiversity. This exists because of its continuous forest cover, its high richness of tree species and its management history. The river regulation in the 1930s has drained the forest and has prevented flooding which has strongly altered the structure and tree species composition of the forest. Shade-casting maple species, that were historically rare, are gaining dominance which suppresses the natural regeneration of pedunculate oak. The extreme drought years of 2018 and 2019 have led to a large-scale mortality, in particular of Common ash. Eco-physiological investigations and tree ring analyses show that the stress level in 2019 rose strongly and has pushed the system to its limits. To save the unique forest, revitalisation measures that restore the hydrological dynamics of the floodplain are planned.