The Bavarian Forest
When the bark beetle multiplied exceptionally rapidly in the Bavarian Forest National Park in the 1980s and the park administration deliberately refrained from combating it, the consequences were far-reaching. Within just a few years, several thousand hectares of old, formerly commercially managed spruce stands in the higher elevations died off. From the work of the bark beetle, a new forest grew — more diverse and colourful than
When the bark beetle multiplied exceptionally rapidly in the Bavarian Forest National Park in the 1980s and the park administration deliberately refrained from combating it, the consequences were far-reaching. Within just a few years, several thousand hectares of old, formerly commercially managed spruce stands in the higher elevations died off. From the work of the bark beetle, a new forest grew — more diverse and colourful than the previous commercial forest had ever been.
From managed forest to the primeval forest of tomorrow
The film shows how the “catastrophe” came about in what was once a commercial forest, and how the “primeval forest of tomorrow” is growing from it today — how perfectly growth, development, and decay intertwine here, and why the bark beetle became not a gravedigger but a midwife. Following the cycle of the seasons, this elaborate documentary offers an insight into the ways in which the transformation of the habitat affects the animal and plant world.
The Bavarian Forest proves impressively: when humans leave nature to its own devices, the most species-rich habitats emerge. More on Hunting and Biodiversity and on the topic of Environment and Nature Conservation at wildbeimwild.com.
