UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
	UN/ECE NEWS

 

Press Release  ECE/TIM//00/2
Geneva, 18 January 2000

STORMS OF DECEMBER 1999 FELL 165 MILLION M3 OF TIMBER:

    EQUIVALENT OF 6 MONTHS HARVEST IN THREE DAYS

In December there were three storms over Europe: on 26 and 28 December, centred on France, Germany and Switzerland; and an earlier storm on 11 December, centred on Denmark and Sweden.  Countries across Europe sustained damage to their forests which in terms of volume of wood blown down is the highest in Europe since the catastrophic storms of 1990, and may even be worse than those in value.

Situation in European countries based on country estimates as of 17 January 2000:
 
 

Country	Windthrown timber (million m3)	Annual  *  removals  (million m3)	Percent of annual harvest
France	115	43	268 %
Germany	27	39	69 %
Switzerland	10	4	238 %
Sweden	5	58	9 %
Denmark	3.5	2	159 %
Poland	2	23	9 %
Austria	0.4	14	3 %
Lithuania	0.4	5	8 %
Belgium	minor	4
Estonia	minor	6
Latvia	minor	10
Italy	unconfirmed	10
Portugal	none	9
Spain	none	16
United Kingdom	none	8
Other Europe	none	130
Total (estimated)	165	381	43%

*  Please note that "removals" are roundwood actually removed from forests in 1998 as reported by countries to
the ECE.  Not all harvested timber is removed from forests and even less windthrown wood will be removed.

France is the most affected country, with an estimated total of 115 million m3 with the worst damage in the east (50 million m3 in total, including Lorraine 26 million m3, Champagne Ardennes 11 million m3, Alsace 6 million m3).  Other regions were also badly hit (e.g. Limousin 15 million m3, Aquitaine 20 million m3).  Of the total, 40 million m3 is in public forests and 75 million m3 in private forests.

In Germany, where the estimate has risen to 27 million m3, the Black Forest in Baden Wurttemberg is the worst affected with around 25 million m3 in some 40.000 ha of forest land.  In addition significant volumes fell in Bavaria, where the volume of the recent storm damage is estimated between 2,5 to 3 million m3.  Smaller volumes were affected elsewhere (i.e. 0.1 million m3 in Rheinland-Pfalz).

In Switzerland damage is estimated at 10 million m3, about twice the annual harvest.  The cantons of Bern and Fribourg are the worst hit.

The preliminary estimate of the total volume of windblow is 165 million m3, or 43% of the normal European harvest and 20% of the annual growth.   Mr. Kit Prins, Chief of the UN-ECE Timber Section stated, “While the loss appears devastating in the short term, Europe’s surplus of growth over harvest will continue.  The fallen timber is only 0.6% of wood in Europe’s forests.  However for localities affected it can have significant consequences.”  (Statistics based on Timber Section studies on forest resources and timber trends.)

To minimise disruption to forest products markets governments are preparing programmes to help forest owners and markets recover as quickly as possible.  All foresters and governments stress determination to re-establish their forests as they are committed to sustainable management of European forests.
 

For further information please contact:
 

Mr. Kit Prins
Chief, Timber Section
E-mail:  info.timber@unece.org
 

Timber Section

UN/ECE Trade Division

Palais des Nations

CH - 1211 GENEVA 10

Switzerland

Telephone: +41 22 917 2874

Fax: +41 22 917 0041