"Centuries of Restoration Needed for Berlin's Forest"
A recent storm that hit Berlin's northwest, including Tegel, Hermsdorf, and Frohnau, has caused significant damage, particularly to the Tegeler Forest. Thousands of trees have fallen, and recovery from this devastation is expected to take months, if not years.
One of the most notable casualties is the "Burgsdorff Larch", a mega-larch planted in 1795, which fell victim to the storm. Its massive trunk and root plate now lie on the ground. The tallest larch in Berlin, which is 41 meters high, has also fallen over.
Berlin's oldest tree, the at least 500-year-old "Fat Maria", a pedunculate oak, has survived the storm. However, the status of Berlin's tallest tree, a 43.15-meter-high beech, is unknown a week after the storm. The current status of the two other record trees in the Tegeler Forest is yet to be determined.
A large part of the valuable old beech stock in the Tegeler Forest has been destroyed. The hiking trails at the forest entrances are now being secured, but the cleanup of the forest has not yet begun due to the danger posed to forest workers. Drones have been sent up to assess the situation in the Tegeler Forest.
Berlin's top nature protector, Derk Ehlert, has stated that the decision on whether to let the fallen larch rot or use its wood for playground equipment is yet to be made. The total damage to the Tegeler Forest is yet to be determined, but it is estimated that it will take 100 years for the forest to recover from the damage.
For precise and up-to-date information about the condition of the tallest beech tree in Berlin and other significant trees in the Tegeler Forest after the storm, local forestry authorities or environmental news sources in Berlin should be consulted.
The storm's impact on the Tegeler Forest's environmental science is profound, as the storm toppled the tallest larch in Berlin, a tree that previously stood at 41 meters. Furthermore, the science of climate-change becomes a concern, as the fallen trees and damaged forest may take a century to recover, according to Berlin's top nature protector.
