What if I told you that just southeast of Muenster, lies a place where trees have stood for over 300 years? It’s Teppes Viertel, a natural woodland cell within the Wolbecker Tiergarten. This six-hectare area is one of 75 untouched forest areas in North Rhine-Westphalia. Here nature is allowed to run its course.
Teppes Viertel offers a glimpse into what a forest becomes when left to its own devices. The idea for these natural woodland cells arose in the 1930s. About 40 years later, the plan to take the few remaining relics of near-natural old-growth forests out of cultivation was taken up and implemented as part of the European Nature Conservation Year in 1970. Since then, these woodland areas have been left to their own devices. The goal is to enable the most natural forest dynamics possible.
Michael Elmer from the Wald und Holz NRW team says that this particular forest near Muenster has been unmanaged for over 100 years. That makes it the oldest cell in North Rhine-Westphalia. In Teppes Viertel, trees grow crooked. Deadwood remains standing or lying on the ground. This provides shelter for many species.
Surveys five years ago identified seven special beetle species, so-called primeval relic species. Rare lichen and bird species like the middle spotted woodpecker thrive in Teppes Viertel. Studies show that unmanaged forests have a disproportionate number of rare and endangered species. New and rediscovered species are also common.
The trees in Teppes Viertel are not immune to climate stress. Beech trees showed reduced vitality in 2019 and 2020. The trees rolled up their leaves as protection against evaporation, or lost them entirely. This was observed frequently in July and August 2019.
Less than five percent of forest areas in NRW are unmanaged. This makes the findings from the natural woodland cells vital. Initial observations in the Wolbecker Tiergarten indicate that the oak trees are retreating. Beech trees are reclaiming the forest. Especially where wild animals eat the fresh shoots. Only beech trees remain. There is more variety in a fenced-off test area that keeps wild animals out.
A beech monoculture in Teppes Viertel isn’t ideal. Oak trees and their deadwood are crucial for many species. But sometimes, you must be brave enough to let nature take its course. Teppes Viertel is a testament to this hands-off approach. It is a place where the forest tells its own story.