Freiburg researchers publish graphic novel Klima Wandel Wald (Climate Change Forest)

The climate is changing, and with it our forests. Heat waves, droughts, heavy rains and mild winters are occurring with increasing frequency and are taking their toll on our forests. Large-scale forest damage, pests such as the bark beetle, or sharply fluctuating timber prices are just a few facets of the numerous climate effects. But how can “the forest” be adapted to the future climate? What does a climate-adapted forest even look like? And what solutions are there for forestry and the timber industry?

The recently published graphic novel Klima Wandel Wald (Climate Change Forest) by Ellen Schäffel, Josephine Binder, Nicolas Scholze and Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Glaser is dedicated to this complex topic. It was created as part of a project study at the Chair of Physical Geography at the University of Freiburg and is also integrated into the trinational research project Clim'Ability Design (Interreg V).

“We wanted to write a book that makes scientific findings accessible to a broader audience, especially to younger readers,” explain Rüdiger Glaser and Nicolas Scholze. “Our goal is to make people aware of a highly relevant and complex subject in an entertaining way. The didactic challenge with this format is always to simplify and depict technical content in such a way that the accuracy of the content is maintained while still achieving the highest possible reader comprehension.”

In terms of content, the book is based on interviews with stakeholders in the forestry and timber industry in the Upper Rhine region. Underscored through current climate projections, vulnerability analyses and adaptation discourses, numerous facts are conveyed in an entertaining way. The graphic novel is available on FreiDok plus as a pdf, the printed version can be obtained from the office of the Chair of Physical Geography (Susana Ginés).

Contact:
Nicolas Scholze
e-mail: nicolas.scholze@geographie.uni-freiburg.de