As part of the "Lebendige Luppe" project, sooty bark disease was recorded on more than 1500 sycamore maples (Acer pseudoplatanus) (trunks >5cm breast hight diameter) on 60 plots (each 2500 m²) in the late summers of 2020 to 2024. The selection of trees (according to their size) was based on 2 forest inventories (2016 and 2020) (Rieland et al. 2024, Scholz et al. 2022). As a result, new trees were added for recording in 2021. Tree damage caused by sooty bark disease was assessed via five damage classes according to the methodology outlined by Burgdorf and Straßer (2019). Trees that could not be found again were described as NA if there were no signs of felling.
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).
As part of the Lebendige Luppe project, ash dieback disease was recorded on European ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior, trunks >5cm breast height diameter) on 60 plots (each 2500m²) in the late summers of 2016 to 2024. The trees were assessed according to Langer et al. (2015). However, an additional category 6 (dead tree) was introduced to distinguish between dead and dying trees. The selection of trees (according to their size) was based on 2 forest inventories (2016 and 2020) (Rieland et al. 2024, Scholz et al. 2022). As a result, new trees were added for recording in 2021.
From 2020, the additional parameter Tree damage class, ash bark beetle was introduced to assess the damage caused by the ash bark beetle in 4 categories. From 2023, an additional parameter Tree damage class, ash dieback crown was introduced, which based on Lenz et al. (2012) and indicates the damage in the crown of the tree. This classification was added because, unlike the Langer et al. (2015) classification, it describes the damage class independently of the beetle infestation. A comparison of the different damage classifications enables a better description of the damage pattern. A more detailed description of the three parameters used (Tree damage class, ash dieback; Tree damage class, ash bark beetle and Tree damage class, ash dieback crown) is provided in the dataset comment.