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Field maple Rare tree species

The field maple (Acer campestre L.) is regarded nationwide as endangered or rare. This assessment is based on the regionally limited distribution of the field maple and its occurrence in small to moderate proportions in oak forest communities, which are often replaced by beech in the course of near-natural forest management.

Field maple (Acer campestre L.)

Field maple (Source: BLE)

The field maple is considered to be endangered or rare in its occurrence throughout Germany. This assessment is based on the regionally limited distribution of the field maple and its occurrence in small to moderate proportions in oak forest communities, which are often replaced by beech in the course of close to nature forest management. It is also threatened by the loss of habitat in the hardwood floodplain.

Of the 600,000 field maple trees in Germany, more than 400,000 are found in Bavaria, followed by Mecklenburg-West Pomerania with almost 80,000 and Thuringia with almost 70,000 individuals, Baden-Württemberg (approx. 40,000) and Hesse (approx. 10,000). The focus of the distribution lies on the one hand in a strip from the Weser Uplands to the Swabian-Franconian Alps and on the other hand in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

As gene centres the south of Germany with Mainfranken and the Bavarian Alb as well as central German with the Mitteldeutschen Trias-Hügelland and a western German one in the Saar-Nahe area were found. In addition, a smaller gene centre for north-eastern Germany in eastern Brandenburg has been identified.

Contact

+49 0228 6845-3385

Dr. Michaela Haverkamp

Federal Office for Agriculture
and Food
Unit 331
Deichmanns Aue 29
53179 Bonn

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