Characterizing Forest Structure Dynamics in Germany between 1985 and 2023 Using Spaceborne LiDAR and Historical Disturbance Data

Abstract

Analyzing forest conditions is essential due to the critical role of forests in regulating the carbon cycle, preserving biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. Since 2018, prolonged and severe drought conditions have significantly impacted European forests, and by extension, German forests, triggering disturbances such as insect infestations. This study analyzes the effects of past and recent disturbance events on forest structural dynamics in Germany by integrating spaceborne LiDAR data from the GEDI mission with historical disturbance data from the EFDA dataset. The research focuses on various structural attributes, including vegetation height, cover, biomass, and complexity to identify patterns and differences across national and regional scales over a 38-year period (1985–2023). The findings highlight the dominant role of harvest and wind/bark beetle disturbances in influencing forest structure. The comparison of disturbed and undisturbed forests revealed that, while differences between disturbance agents were subtle, variations in recovery were observed. Temporal differences revealed that, even after 34 years, some affected areas exhibited limited recovery in height, while canopy cover demonstrated high recovery rates, even in more recent disturbances. This study offers a first assessment of post-disturbance structural characteristics by comparing the structural and temporal differences between abiotic (wind/bark beetle) and anthropogenic (harvest) disturbances over an extended period. The findings of this study provide a foundation for future research on temperate forest resilience and post-disturbance structural dynamics.