A total of 70.6 million cubic metres of timber were logged in German forests in the calendar year of 2023. Damaged trees accounted for 38.7 million cubic metres. After the record year of 2020 when 60.1 million cubic metres of damaged timber had been logged, the amount logged decreased for the third time in a row (by 5.9 million cubic metres, or 13.2%, compared with 2022).
Insects and storms continued to be the main causes for logging in the case of damaged timber. The amount of timber damaged by insects increased slightly by 2.6%) to 27.2 million cubic metres in 2023 year on year. In 2020, the amount of timber logged because of insect infestation had been 43.3 million cubic metres, a record high since German reunification.
4.9 million cubic metres of timber damaged by wind or storm were logged in 2023. In the preceding year, it had been only 12.4 million cubic metres.