Cost
£ 62.1 /tonne
CO2 Tonnes
Forest adaptation - Luckaitz Valley, Germany
Climate change threatens forests with droughts, storms and pests. In Germany, it's estimated that as many as four out of five trees are currently afflicted with disease. In the Luckaitztal forest adaptation project, more than 600 ha of pine forest are being converted into a biodiverse, near-natural and climate-resilient forest, thus preparing them for future climatic conditions.
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Project information
Climate-resilient forests
The Luckaitztal climate project aims to transform the current coniferous forest, which is primarily made up of 94% pine trees and has uniform tree heights, into a more climate-resilient forest in Brandenburg. The forest is currently vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as storms, heat stress, and beetle infestations. To make the forest climate-resilient and biodiverse, the following measures will be taken in the coming years: planting diverse tree species, promoting natural rejuvenation and wildlife management to prevent serious forest damage. By implementing these measures, the Luckaitztal climate project reduces carbon emissions by decreasing the climate risk of the forest and increasing its structural diversity, which will store additional climate emissions from the atmosphere.
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Intervention
Forest management
Location
Germany
Standards
ISO 14064-2
Sustainable Goals
Project performance
The Earthly rating
The Earthly rating is the industry-first holistic project assessment. Earthly researchers analyze 106 data points, aggregating information across the three vital pillars of carbon, biodiversity and people. Projects in Earthly's marketplace all exceed a minimum score of 5/10.
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Carbon
23,684
Tonnes of CO2e sequestered during the project crediting period
Biodiversity
470%
Projected biodiversity increase
Social
680
Hectares of cadastral area preserved for recreational, health, and tourism activities
Project impact
Local impact
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The image illustrates NDVI values between 2018 and 2022, the year of project implementation. The project focuses on improving forest management in the area, delineated by a green outline. The NDVI values in the images predominantly range between 0.6 and 0.8 indicating overall good vegetation health, with observable decrease in some areas. We will continue to monitor the project area to ensure the benefit of improved management. Dataset used: Sentinel-2 derived NDVI (2018- 2022)
Project area: through time
In Germany, a major initiative aims to convert over 3 million hectares of monoculture forests into biodiverse mixed forests to enhance resilience against climate change and increase CO2 sequestration. The Luckaitz Valley project, started in 2022, is a key part of this effort. It began with reducing tree density to allow more light for young saplings and adjusting wildlife management to support natural regeneration. According to the developer, just a year later, significant progress is evident with improved light penetration and the emergence of new seedlings, indicating a successful step towards creating a more diverse and sustainable forest ecosystem.
The image to the left provides a visual representation of a state of Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in 2022, the year of project implementation. NDVI is a key metric used to understand the health of an ecosystem. In the context of a forested project, a progressively greener NDVI over time signifies a healthier or better-managed environment. Utilising NDVI to evaluate vegetation health is a standard practice across various ecosystems, NDVI values exceeding 0.7 typically signify "good health" in vegetation. Moving forward, we will continue to employ earth observation techniques to continuously monitor the project's impact, ensuring its ongoing success and adaptability to changing environmental conditions.
Positive for people
Forests play a crucial role in maintaining high air quality. The multilayered canopy of needles and leaves in forests effectively filters out dust and soot. One hectare of forest is capable of removing up to 60,000 kg of dust from the air annually. Not only do forests filter out solid particles, but they also absorb gaseous pollutants, including nitrogen oxides. Through this process, forests help mitigate the negative impacts of such pollutants on air quality. Due to their crucial role in carbon sequestration and oxygen production forests are often referred to as the "lungs of the earth". As trees and vegetation capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they store it within their biomass, thus mitigating climate change. Additionally, forests release oxygen during the process of photosynthesis.
An example of their significance is highlighted by mature beech trees, which generate enough oxygen every day to cover the breathing needs of 10-20 individuals. Apart from air quality, the project also supports forest owners. Traditional forest owners typically generate income through selling timber. Pina Earth offers them an additional source of income for their ecosystem services - in the form of CO2 certificates that can be obtained through forest transformation measures.
Throughout the collaboration, forest owners acquire comprehensive knowledge about climate change and can adjust their forest management practices to enhance carbon sequestration and strengthen biodiversity. By providing personal consultation to forest owners, customers, and business partners, Pina Earth raises awareness about the risks that German forests' face while offering solutions to address these challenges. Additionally, through regular guest lectures, the importance of forest transformation and biodiversity is made accessible to a wide audience.
Good for earth
In addition to their function as recreational areas, forests serve as huge CO2 reservoirs and thus make a decisive contribution to climate protection. In Germany alone, forestry reduce the burden on the atmosphere by more than 120 million tons of CO2 every year. However, the forest is facing major challenges due to climate change. Drought, storms, and insect infestations are putting increasing pressure on the forest. An important approach to stabilizing and vitalizing stands and maintaining forest functions is large-scale forest adaptation. This involves converting vulnerable coniferous stands into diverse mixed forests that disperse risk.
The project enables cost-intensive forest conversion and thus helps to maintain forests and their CO2 sink function. Intact terrestrial ecosystems are essential for our health and for economic and social stability. In addition, the introduction of new, climate-resilient tree species leads to a significant increase in biodiversity. That is, the project increases biodiversity by 470% according to the Shannen Diversity Index and introduces six new species to the area, ensuring intact ecosystems. Through that, the project ensures intact ecosystems, health, as well as economic and social stability.
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