Blessed are those who know that there is a shady tree nearby these days. Then the heat can be experienced much better. But despite the well-known effects on the urban climate, trees have a hard time.
Munich (dpa/lby) – In the 15 largest cities in Bavaria, at least 165,500 trees have been felled in the past ten years between 2011 and 2021. This is the result of a survey by BUND Naturschutz, which is to be presented in Munich today. Since the cities were only able to provide very incomplete data on tree felling due to a lack of data collection, BUND Naturschutz assumes that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher. “We estimate that the actual number of trees felled is around 250,000 to 300,000,” said a spokesman.
BUND Naturschutz sees trees as an important factor in the fight against the currently particularly noticeable overheating of cities as a result of increasing densification and surface sealing. Trees are natural air conditioners and provide shade.
In many Bavarian cities, the hottest day of the year so far was recorded on Wednesday. According to preliminary figures, Kitzingen in Lower Franconia reported 39.6 degrees – the highest value in the Free State. 36.8 degrees were measured in Munich.
