Forests are complex ecosystems. Assessing and quantifying them requires numerous different parameters. To this end, a German intensive forest monitoring programme was introduced in 1994 as an integrated part of the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) established within the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP).

The intensive forest monitoring (Level II) complements the area-representative Level I monitoring and allows a better basis for the study of cause-effect-relationships in forest ecosystems.

In Germany, data from twelve surveys is collected on a total of 68 study sites (as of 01.01.2014, based on the Federal Ordinance ForUmV) and submitted to the central ICP Forests database by the German Federal States.

In our working group, we perform complex quality checks, use the data to answer specific scientific question, and provide data to external research institutes upon request. We further work on the development of comprehensive routine analysis procedures to support information provided for politics and the general public.