Heidelberg’s city forest is the largest single area of non-intensively used land (or ‘near-natural habitat’) in the region. Its great ecological value is reflected in the fact that some 15 percent (473 hectares) of its area has been designated as ‘forest biotope’.
Forest biotopes grouped into ‘key biotopes’
Share of total number of biotopes
Discrete natural features
35 percent
Rivers/standing bodies of water/bogs and wetlands
24 percent
Richly-textured forest/remains of historical cultivation/management activities
21 percent
Rare, near-natural forest community
8 percent
Other key biotope types (forest containing flora and fauna requiring particular protection; dry biotopes; forest fringes; succession zones)
12 percent
Protective function
Forests safeguard basic natural assets like soil, water, climate and air, that are so essential for sustaining life. In an environment increasingly dominated by housing, industry and transport infrastructure, certain protective functions of the forest are becoming more and more important:
Biotope protection and wildlife conservation
Landscape conservation
Soil conservation and erosion control
Water conservation
Protecting the climate and improving air quality
Forest function
Area in hectares
Percentage of total forest area
Landscape conservation area
3331 hectares
100 percent
Nature Park
3331 hectares
100 percent
Emission control forest
1608 hectares
48 percent
Forest water conservation areas
1160 hectares
35 percent
Soil conservation area
402 hectares
12 percent
Protected forest
165 hectares
5 percent
Nature reserve
15 hectares
<1 percent
Sight-screening function
11 hectares
<1 percent
Recreation function
The forest’s location, in close proximity to the city, makes it a very important recreational space. Especially at the weekends, people come here from right across the Rhine-Neckar Triangle. The entire forest is open to the public – locals and visitors alike. Most of the city forest is designated primarily for quiet activities such as walking and hiking. In these areas it is possible to meet users’ needs while continuing normal management of the forest.
Forest function
Area in hectares
Percentage of total forest area
Recreational forest, Type 1
682 hectares
20 percent
Recreational forest, Type 2
2537 hectares
76 percent
Forests are becoming ever more important for sustaining local ecosystems and supporting the well-being of people in large urban areas. But at the same time, the public in general is becoming less knowledgeable about the forests and their positive effects. To counteract this trend, steps are being taken to make the city forest a place for people – particularly children and young people – to experience and learn about the forest environment. By experiencing and getting to know the forest and its many facets, people forge emotional bonds with their environment. These bonds are the best way to make sure that the forest, as a habitat for plants and animals, and as the source of many of the natural foundations of life, is protected in the long term.
Utility function
Forests produce one of nature’s most environmentally-friendly materials: wood. If timber is sourced from domestic, sustainably-managed forestry, this additionally helps to reduce the volumes that need to be imported from areas at risk from overexploitation. Domestic timber needs to travel only relatively short distances, which reduces the burden on transport infrastructure and the environment.
Timber is used for a huge range of different applications, and numerous everyday objects are made from (often processed) wood. The production of timber offers major ecological advantages over the production of alternative raw materials:
