The European Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora requires the conservation of various forest habitat types both in spatial extent and quality. The oak-dominated forest habitat types grow in Germany to a large extent on sites where beech forests would naturally dominate. In order to preserve these secondary oak forests according to the Habitats Directive, forestry measures are necessary, especially for oak regeneration. The Federal Office for Nature Conservation commissioned UNIQUE to conduct an expert review to define forest management measures to preserve oak habitat types at potential beech forest sites. Furthermore, the study identified the economic costs and benefits of a beech forest management system.

• Identification of primary and secondary oak sites of selected federal states.
• Description of silvicultural programs and measures for the preservation of oak habitat types.
• Economic assessment of oak conservation concepts on beech forest sites.
• Calculation of yield differences between close to nature beech management and oak management systems.