2023-10-24 14:08:00
In 2019, Germany began implementing a program to protect long-lived trees – Nationalerbe-Baum. Currently, thirty trees are included in the list of such national natural monuments of the German Dendrological Society (Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaft). Thirty more are among the candidates. The program is coordinated by scientists from the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden).
In total, they intend to include a total of 100 special trees on this German list. Important criteria are age – usually more than four hundred years, as well as the diameter of the trunk at chest level – at least four meters. In Germany, such indicators can be achieved, in particular, by yews, various oaks and lindens, larches, ginkgos and noble chestnuts.
As you can see from these examples, we are not just talking about typical German trees. The list already includes some exotic species brought to Europe from other regions of the world, for example, for planting in parks.
You can find out what they look like, where they grow and how they are especially different from the DW photo gallery:
“Lime tree of Thassilona” in Bavaria
Thirtieth on the German list of “Trees – National Natural Monuments” in October 2023 was the “Tassilon Linden” (Tassilolinde) in the Bavarian municipality of Wessobrunn.
“Lime tree of Thassilon” WessobrunnPhoto: Peter Widmann/IMAGO
Linden trees are currently in the lead on this list – eleven trees. This is followed by oaks of different types – eight. Two representatives each – from elms and yews. The only long-lived trees so far are firs, plane trees, giant sequoias, chestnuts, larches, maples and ginkgos. Program specialists are currently preparing a book dedicated to the first thirty trees, which will be available on the website nationalerbe-baeume.de in pdf format.
People often call such trees 1000 years old. As stated in the description of the thirtieth tree on the list, based on analysis of the trunk and crown, the age of this large-leaved linden (in German – Sommerlinde, that is, summer linden) in Wessobrunn is between 700 and 900 years.
The name is associated with the legend about the founding of the local monastery by the Bavarian Duke Tassilo III in the 8th century, but the tree was planted in these places several centuries later – presumably after a devastating fire and restoration of the monastery in the 13th century.
This linden received official protected status as a natural monument back in 1980. Tree care is carried out at the expense of funds from local and land budgets. In recent years, interest among tourists and nature lovers in this monument has grown greatly, so the ancient linden tree was surrounded by a fence to avoid soil compaction and other undesirable consequences.
Old European beech trees in Bavaria. These trees can live up to 500 years Photo: M. Gann/McPHOTO/blickwinkel/picture alliance
Old trees and environmental protection
According to statistics, there are a total of about 90 billion trees in Germany. Almost half are fir and pine trees. Beeches and oaks account for 16 percent and 11 percent respectively. The average age of trees in Germany is 77 years.
As representatives of the German program note, protecting not only long-lived trees, but also old trees in general, is important for combating global warming. According to experts, one old tree with a crown twenty meters wide has a positive effect on the climate – it absorbs as much carbon dioxide as approximately four hundred young trees.
Old trees are also true oases of biodiversity – creating habitat for a large number of species of birds and insects, bats and other animals. Mosses and lichens settle on trunks and branches.
Long-lived trees are also historical and cultural monuments. Some of them were the venue for various kinds of meetings or ceremonies and are mentioned in legends and various documentary evidence.
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