Bruxelles Environnement / Nature et forêt
The translation of this testimony was generated automatically by a translation program. Thanks for your understanding.
In the Soignes forest, we are seeing changes in the environment.
In the past, despite the occurrence of sometimes abundant ridges, we had very little natural regeneration of beech. Since +/- 2007, young beech trees have sometimes developed over large areas. We also observe, locally, the presence of natural regenerations of species that in the past did not regenerate, such as Austrian black pine.
Despite the fact that beech is not in a station (i.e. it is not adapted to local growing conditions except very locally), we are working on this natural regeneration to regenerate the forest and hope to produce a genotype better adapted to drought episodes which will be more and more frequent.
Another choice in the management of this heritage forest: we have reoriented the choice of species with the principle of diversifying and planting species in stations. This has led us, for example, to no longer plant pedunculated oak, but to prefer sessile oak (more resistant to drought episodes than its cousin).
A new management plan for the Soignes forest is being adopted by the Brussels Government, which presents various measures for adapting to climate change. This document also presents a whole series of measures to better preserve the biodiversity present, such as, for example, the management of borders, and the maintenance of standing and ground dead wood.
Originally posted 2019-01-19 02:55:43.