In late July, PhD student Julia Rieder and EAGLE student Henning Riecken (InnoLab) conducted field visits to several beech forest stands in Northern Bavaria. Their survey covered regions including the Rhön, the Steigerwald, and areas around Würzburg and Bayreuth, as part of the Beechdecline and EO4CAM projects.

The team focused on assessing crown condition and defoliation levels of European beech (Fagus sylvatica), aiming to better understand the long-term impacts of the 2018–2019 droughts. Many of the surveyed stands continue to exhibit signs of stress—ranging from defoliation and crown dieback to localized mortality. However, some moderately affected trees also showed encouraging signs of recovery.

These field impressions underscore the complex picture emerging in Central European beech forests: while vulnerability remains evident, there are also pockets of resilience worth further study.