The Reinhausen Forest District manages 7,200 hectare state forest and 10,400 hectare private forest in the south of Lower Saxony, between Göttingen and the Harz mountains.

Silvicultural principles

In 1991 the goverment of Lower Saxony introduced the long term strategy programme Langfristige Ökologische WaldEntwicklung  

→LÖWE.

It comprise 13 principal objectives for forest management, such as site appropriate species selection, increasing the proportion of broadleaved and mixed forests, possibility use of natural regeneration, target diameter harvesting and promotion of biodiversity.

In 2000 the state forest administration of Lower Saxony joined the → PEFC certification scheme. The external control by independent experts guarantees comprehensive sustainable forest management. 130 hectares of the forest district are totally protected.

Climate and Soils

The climate has an oceanic to sub-continental character (annual mean temperature: 8° C, annual precipitations 740 mm). Altitude: 250-430 m above sea level.

The soils are fertile due to the Triassic limestone (Unterer Muschelkalk) and sandstone (Oberer, Mittlerer und Unterer Buntsandstein) geology, mostly with the influence of loess. 

Sustainable Forestry

Average standing volume  = 360 m³/hectar, i.e. total more than 2.5 Mio. m³ Average volume increment = 11,6 m³/hectar, i.e. total 83,000 m³                  Annual cut                       = 10 m³/hectar, i.e. total 70,000 m³

This shows Reinhausen forest industries estimate the rule of sustainability, which in the year 1713 first formulated from a german forester and in Reinhausen first documented 1752.

Organisation and Personal   →Organigram

Economics

In the last year Reinhausen state forest has had normally a profit of 100 €/hectar.

Non-timber functions

Recreation, nature conservation, water protection or scenic values play an important role and are considered as important as timber production. They are basically provided on the same area by defining the optimal mix of multiple uses of the forest per compartment. Three forest rangers are working in different departments for environmental education.

Niedersächsisches Forstamt Reinhausen

Kirchberg 10

37130 Gleichen

Phone: 0049 (0)5592/9062-0

E-Mail: poststelle(at)nfa-reinhaus.niedersachsen.de

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