More than 20 years after hurricane Lothar, the trees in some parts of the Black Forest are again forming a healthy cover of trees. After the storm, nature was left to its own devices at the Mooskopf, as such areas offer a variety of different ecological niches. On 2 Christmas Day 1999, Storm Lothar swept across the Black Forest, leaving a wide swathe of devastation and causing more than 11 billion euros worth of damage. Peak winds reached an incredible 272 kilometres per hour. The hurricane snapped century-old trees like matchsticks. Years after Lothar, the path of devastation is still clearly visible in the forests. In Baden-Württemberg alone, 25 million solid cubic metres of wood were laid flat. Clear-cutting had taken place on more than 60,000 hectares. The effects of Lothar were severe. The clean-up work was lengthy and dangerous. Some forest workers lost their lives while salvaging the storm wood. The salvage work with heavy equipment compacted the forest floor. Water could no longer seep in, but flowed away superficially and thus unfolded its destructive effect. The bare areas were particularly at risk of erosion. But the disaster also held opportunities. In some of the storm wooded areas, there was no deliberate human intervention at all.
Reiner Sutter aka resuimages has been an enthusiastic and ambitious hobby photographer for more than 35 years. He started with digital photography more than 20 years ago and developed his skills step by step. Today's photography offers him the opportunity to combine his knowledge as a computer expert with the.. Read more…