Provocative question: Are there sufficient cutting capacities for spruce?

The German sawmill industry is already faced with major challenges when it comes to supply – even though this year’s lumber production is expected to decrease by 3 million m³ compared to 2021.

Either we change the forests or the beetles will

“Climate change will fundamentally change forests. We all have the choice between an orderly or a disorderly transformation. In the case of the former, we make the decisions, in the case of the latter, the bark beetle will decide what happens next in the forests,” Dr. Ralf Petercord, Head of the Department of Forestry/Climate Change/Timber Industry at the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Agriculture, said in his opening speech. He knows that the tree species will have to cope with a change towards drier, hotter locations.

His takes on the fourth National Forest Inventory are that

• of the 3.4 billion m³ in German forests, around 1 billion m³ are spruce trees,
• German forests are too rich in timber stocks, which increases the risk,
• 1 billion m³ of spruce wood must be systematically “worked off”.

Petercord put it bluntly: “We need to partially replace the 1 billion m³ of spruce trees in German forests in a targeted manner, by adding deciduous trees, but also Douglas fir and larch. If we don’t actively change the composition of forests and follow a structured plan, insects will do that for us randomly.” Since no one knows which species will grow well in 2100, having a broad portfolio is crucial and this also includes spruce according to Petercord. He is, however certain that “70% of the spruce growing areas will be lost.”

The forests need to be converted to permanently mixed forests. “Spruce stocks are decreasing, but the spruce will still have a share in the future,” Petercord said. “Spruce trees that start growing now will have to be harvested in 50 years at the latest.”

Beech resistant – at least young trees

Beech stands require a different type of management. “Young beech trees handle the changing climatic conditions well. This type of wood is certainly fit for the future but the rotation period needs to be reduced for beech as well.”

“Sustainability means not harvesting more than what regrows. In order to have vital forests, though, we cannot reduce logging either. We have huge backlogs of forest stands that need to be cared for, and not enough is being done,” Petercord analyzed.

From too much to too little

Jörn Kimmich, Managing Director of ante-holz and Vice President of the German Timber Industry Council, described the problems between having too much and too little log wood. “When the calamity struck, our production sites were operating in two shifts. With many concessions to the workforce, we went from that to up to four shifts. Now, smaller volumes of wood are available, and reducing the number of shifts is inevitable. We won’t be able to get back the employees we lose now,” Kimmich said, complaining about what he calls “a full ramp-up which is then taken back again. The frequent instances of additional, unplanned logging followed by an insufficient supply of log wood are a huge challenge for us. On top of that, Thüringen Forst will reduce the harvest volume by half in the first six months of 2025.”

Solid structural timber made of pine

Felix Lauel of Gebrüder Eigelshoven, Würselen/DE, represented the second sawmill company on the podium. He shared Kimmich’s assessment: “We need stability, and one factor in achieving it is by accepting and processing any type of softwood in the future. The market must accept, for example, that some of the solid structural wood will be made of pine – there is no other way.”