Interestingly, almost 20 percent of the urban area in Berlin is covered by forest – which is a lot more than for Hamburg or Munich, for example, where the proportion of forest is 5.7 and 5.1 percent. Such a population of trees comes with a great deal of responsibility. The Environmental Atlas’ data on forests and woodlands is updated every ten years.
The State Forestry Law has been applicable to the whole city since 1990. The goal: to manage and keep the forests as close to nature as possible. This includes, for example, the cutting of trees only when necessary, or replacing cut trees with indigenous tree and shrub species only. Berlin is also taking action against non-indigenous tree species. For example, the black cherry that originated from North America is being reduced, as it has spread uncontrollably and is robbing other species of their habitat.
The pine is the top tree species in Berlin. It covers an area of more than 16,265 hectares – forming almost 65 percent of the main tree population. Most trees are between 60 and 81 years old. The reason: during the Second World War, the forests were heavily cleared. Subsequently, extensive reforestation took place to compensate for the loss, especially in West Berlin. Check out the Age and Inventory Structure of the Forests Map for more details.