Leipzig is the only major German city in which extensive hardwood floodplain forests have been preserved. At present, drying out and a lack of hydrodynamics pose the greatest challenges for the conservation of the floodplain landscape. Restoring typical floodplain hydrological conditions and habitats can sustainably safeguard biodiversity and numerous ecosystem services in the medium term. To this end, the Lebendige Luppe project aim to reactivate typical floodplain hydrodynamics with inundation over large areas, the restoration of old river courses and the conversion of intensively farmed areas into typical floodplain habitats. The Lebendige Luppe project, itself is a joint project of cities of Leipzig and Schkeuditz and the NABU Saxony as implementation partner and the University of Leipzig and the UFZ-Helmholtz Centre (Partner for accompanying natural and social science) (Scholz et al. 2022).
The implemented and planned restoration measures are accompanied by long-term scientific monitoring (UFZ and Leipzig University). For this purpose, 60 permanent observation plots were set up in the area of the measures according to the BACI design (Before-After / Control-Impact), on which the diversity of selected indicator groups (vegetation, molluscs, ground beetles) as well as groundwater dynamics, water and material balance in the soil, carbon storage and forest growth are recorded (Scholz et al. 2022). By integrating further landscape ecology and nature conservation data, a comprehensive analysis of the status quo and the changes in site conditions, biodiversity and ecosystem functions of the floodplain resulting from the expected floodplain dynamisation is possible, which goes beyond what has been available to date. The resulting simulation of hardwood forest responses to the changing abiotic environmental variables are already the basis for assessing the impact of the planned measures in the implementation process.
This data publication contains the tree inventory data of the scientific accompanying research of the winters 2013/2014 and 2016/2017 (first inventory) and a repeat inventory from the winter of 2020/21. The Leipzig riparian forest distributed on old hardwood riparian forest (main tree population older than 90 years) of the forestry office of the city of Leipzig and Sachsenforst as state forest (Scholz et al. 2022). All stands were identified as Riparian mixed forests of Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis and Ulmus minor, Fraxinus excelsior or Fraxinus angustifolia, along the great rivers (Ulmenion minoris) – Annex I habitat type (code 91F0).
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