Germany

31.7% —or about 11,076,000 hectares—of Germany is forested. Of this, none is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Germany gained an average of 33,500 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual reforestation rate of 0.31%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change decreased by 100.0% to 0.00% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Germany gained 3.1% of its forest cover, or around 335,000 hectares. Measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion) for the 1990-2005 interval, Germany gained 3.1% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Germany has some 648 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 0.9% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.5% are threatened. Germany is home to at least 2682 species of vascular plants, of which 0.2% are endemic. 29.3% of Germany is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

Germany: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 34,895,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 11,076,000 Percent Forest Cover 31.74% Primary Forest Cover (ha) - Primary Forest, % total forest 0.00% Primary Forest, % total land 0.00% Other wooded land (ha) - Germany : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 0% Subtropical (% forest area) 0% Temperate (% forest area) 100% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Germany: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) - 0.0% Modified natural (ha | %) - 0.0% Semi-natural (ha | %) 11,076,000 100.0% Production plantation (ha | %) - 0.0% Production plantation (ha | %) - 0.0% Germany: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 10,741,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 11,076,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 11,076,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 33,500 0.31% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 335,000 3.12% Change in rate (%) -100.00% PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) - Primary 2000 (ha) - Primary 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - #DIV/0! Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - #DIV/0! Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - #DIV/0! Change in rate (%) #DIV/0! OTHER WOODED LAND Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) - Other 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - - Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) - Other 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - #DIV/0! Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - #DIV/0! Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - #DIV/0! Change in rate (%) #DIV/0! TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 10,741,000 Other 2000 (ha) 11,076,000 Other 2005 (ha) 11,076,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 33,500 0.31% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 335,000 3.12% Change in rate (%) -100.00% Germany: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) 0 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) - Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 0 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 0.00% Germany: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) 52.8% Private (%) 47.2% Other (%) 0.0% Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) - Protection (%) 21.9% Conservation (%) 19.3% Social Services (%) 42.3% Multiple Services (%) - None of Unknown (%) 16.5% Germany: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) 0.00% Insects (ha) - Diseases (ha) - Other (ha) - Germany: Protected areas 14 Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 32 World Heritage sites, 2004 27 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 29.3% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 0.36% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 28.89% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 1.98% Germany: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 20 endemic species 0 threatened species 0 Birds total species 487 endemic species 5 threatened species 14 Mammals total species 126 endemic species 1 threatened species 9 Reptiles total species 15 endemic species 0 threatened species 0 Wildlife diversity total species 648 endemic species 6 threatened species 23 Germany: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock 74.50% Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock 90.10% Number of Native tree species Native tree species 62 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 2 Endangered 1 Vulnerable 5 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 2682 Number endemic 6 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 12 Germany: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) 2,020 Below-ground biomass (M t) 585 Dead wood (M t) 54 Total (M t) 2,659 Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) 1,010 Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) 293 Carbon in dead wood (M t) 27 Carbon in litter (M t) - Soil carbon (M t) 858 Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 62,200 2000-2005 - Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 4.84 2000-2005 - Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 54,497 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 6,273 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 60,770 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) - Plant products 2005 Food (t) - Fodder (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) - Ornamental plants (t) - Exudates (t) - Other plant products (t) - Animal products 2005 Living animals (units) - Hides, skins and trophies (units) - Wild honey and bee-wax (t) - Bush meat (t) 34,000 Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Other edible animal products (t) - Other non-edible animal products (t) - Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (US$) - Wood fuel (US$) - Non-wood forest products (US$) $191,650,000 Total value (US$) $191,650,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $17 Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed 70,000 Germany : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 4,625 Imports 79 Exports 23 Consumption 4,681 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 37,755 Imports 2,459 Exports 4,427 Consumption 35,787 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 16,879 Imports 4,862 Exports 4,439 Consumption 17,302 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 13,758 Imports 3,587 Exports 5,410 Consumption 11,935 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 2,148 Imports 4,125 Exports 486 Consumption 5,787 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 18,526 Imports 9,293 Exports 9,732 Consumption 18,087 Germany: Environment Environment - current issues emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards flooding Germany: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 33.85% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 65.56% (2001) Natural resources coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land Germany: Economy Economy - overview: Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth largest in the world - has become one of the slowest growing economies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%, rising to 1.7% in 2004 before falling back to 0.8% in 2005. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's aging population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. In the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit. GDP - per capita $29,700 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 0.8% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 1.1%, industry: 28.6%, services: 70.3% (2005 est.) Industries among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles Population below poverty line (%) NA Debt - external $3.626 trillion (30 June 2005) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 2.8%, industry 33.4%, services 63.8% (1999) Germany: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 82,431,390 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.00% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 236.0 Percent rural (2003) 11.9% Median age (years) total: 42.16 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 1.39 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish) Largest Cities in Germany Cities and urban areas in Germany with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Berlin Germany 3289500 3942600 Hamburg Germany 1688300 3260700 Munich Germany 1161100 2341700 Koln-Ruhr Area Germany 966800 11297800 Frankfurt Germany 645500 2717800 Essen Germany 589900 589900 Dortmund Germany 588300 588300 Stuttgart Germany 575400 2330300 Dusseldorf Germany 568300 568300 Bremen Germany 528200 1008900 Duisburg Germany 517700 517700 Hannover Germany 516800 1106100 Nurnberg Germany 486800 1008500 Dresden Germany 413600 1030800 Leipzig Germany 409800 1417600 Bochum Germany 387600 387600 Wuppertal Germany 368600 368600 Bielefeld Germany 322000 1419000 Bonn Germany 311800 311800 Mannheim Germany 305900 1456000 Gelsenkirchen Germany 278100 278100 Karlsruhe Germany 277500 580500 Monchengladbach Germany 266400 266400 Wiesbaden Germany 266000 266000 Muenster Germany 265500 265500 Chemnitz Germany 256100 1081800 Augsburg Germany 252300 252300 Halle Germany 245300 245300 Braunschweig Germany 242400 242400 Aachen Germany 240300 1238600 Krefeld Germany 238200 238200 Kiel Germany 231700 231700 Magdeburg Germany 230000 230000 Oberhausen Germany 221900 221900 Lubeck Germany 213200 213200 Hagen Germany 205500 205500 Freiburg Germany 203000 203000 Erfurt Germany 195100 195100 Kassel Germany 194600 194600 Rostock Germany 193300 193300 Mainz Germany 190600 190600 Saarbrucken Germany 179500 179500 Hamm Germany 178000 178000 Herne Germany 175200 175200 Mulheim Germany 174000 174000 Osnabruck Germany 164200 164200 Solingen Germany 163900 163900 Ludwigshafen Germany 163400 163400 Leverkusen Germany 162500 162500 Oldenburg Germany 156800 156800 Neuss Germany 150000 150000 Heidelberg Germany 138100 138100 Paderborn Germany 137700 137700 Darmstadt Germany 136700 136700 Gottingen Germany 129800 129800 Potsdam Germany 128000 128000 Wurzburg Germany 125300 125300 Recklinghausen Germany 124800 124800 Regensburg Germany 124200 124200 Bottrop Germany 122000 122000 Bremerhaven Germany 117900 117900 Heilbronn Germany 117900 117900 Ingolstadt Germany 117900 117900 Wolfsburg Germany 117500 117500 Remscheid Germany 117100 117100 Pforzheim Germany 116800 116800 Ulm Germany 116300 116300 Offenbach Germany 115600 115600 Furth Germany 111700 111700 Salzgitter Germany 111500 111500 Reutlingen Germany 110900 110900 Siegen Germany 110000 110000 Gera Germany 109800 109800 Koblenz Germany 108600 108600 Cottbus Germany 107300 107300 Bergisch Gladbach Germany 106300 106300 Moers Germany 106000 106000 Witten Germany 103800 103800  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com