Trees are not only ecologically but also economically important, especially in Germany, but are surprisingly unknown to a large extent

Even “leading” economic experts are hardly aware that the “forestry and wood cluster” is one of the most important branches of the German economy. However, the basic material (wood) has so far been produced, harvested, traded and used in a rather inefficient manner. Interestingly, the technology to leverage this huge economic efficiency potential comes from climate research: a technical process that was developed to analyze annual rings in order to improve climate forecasts based on more precise knowledge of past climate fluctuations makes it possible to determine the quality of wood virtually non-destructively while it is still on the tree. Applications can be found in forestry, on road and park trees, in timber construction and in the preservation of historical monuments.