1. General Description of Germany
1.1 Climate
1.1.1 Predominant general weather situation in Central Europe
All the year round, unsettled weather is caused by depressions or secondary depressions normally
migrating from west to east and by following wedges or anticyclones. Sometimes, however, a region
of low or high pressure can be stationary over a wide area, resulting in uniform weather there for
some days or even weeks.
1.1.2 Climatic description of the Old Federal States of Germany
- Temperate Oceanic Climate DO and Temperate Oceanic Mountain Climate GDO, locally Temperate
Oceanic High Mountain Climate HDO.
- Summer mild, partly warm, winter cool in the lowlands, in higher regions cold.
- Variable weather prevails; now and then periods of dry and also sunny days occur.
- Wind occasionally storm, in coastal areas and at higher levels more frequent than in the interior.
Wind name "Foehn": a warm, dry wind which blows down the slopes on the leeward side of a ridge
of mountains.The name originated in the Alps where the foehn is very prevalent, especially on the
northern slopes. Owing to its warmth and dryness it melts the snow very quickly and causes a
considerable rise in the temperature.
- Snow cover in lowlands now and then. Fog: occasionally, especially in winter.
1.1.3 Climatic description of the New Federal States of Germany
- Except for the Harz Mountains and the western parts of the Disticts of Rostock and Schwerin with
Temperate Oceanic Climate DO, there is Temperate Continental Climate DC and Temperate
Continental Mountain Climate GDC.
- Summer mild, partly warm, winter cool, in higher regions cold.
- Variable weather prevails; now and then periods of dry and cloudy or sunny days occur.
- Wind: occasional gales, more frequently in coastal areas and at hogher levels than in the lowlands.
- Fog: predomonant in winter. Snow cover: in lowlands an the north-western part occasionally, in
other parts more frequently.
In Fig.1 the climatic tables (220 KB) of three German cities show the average weather conditions.)
(Fig. 1.a: the climatic table of Munich)
(Fig. 1.b: the climatic table of Freiburg)
(Fig. 1.c: the climatic table of Berlin)
1.2 Geology
(Fig. 2 reflects the geological situation in Germany.)
(Fig. 2: the geological situation in Germany)
1.3 Potential Natural Forest Vegetation
(Fig. 3) shows the native vegetation in Central Europe at about Christ's birth, i.e. before any
stronger human impacts. The results are based on pollen analysis of FIRBAS (ELLENBERG, 1978).
Special sites such as moors are not taken out.
- 1 Dry areas (mean precipitation less than 500 mm a year) with mixed oak stands (quercus petrea; quercus robur) and a few beech stands (fagus silvatica).
- 2 Low lands with mixed beech stands (fagus silvatica); parts with dominant admixture of oaks; at the Northern Sea coast a lot of black alder (alnus glutinosa); locally (marked points) predominant pine (pinus silvestris).
- 3 Low mountain range with beech, mostly without conifers.
- 4 Moraine-regions with beech stands, poor in pine.
- 5 Mountain range: beech stands with fir (abies alba) and/or spruce (picea abies); black triangles: subalpine beech stands.
- 6 Regions of sandy soils with predominant pine (pinus silvestris), partly with oak (quercus petrea) and other broadleaves.
- 7 Mixed broadleaf areas with carpinus betulus.
- 8 Like "7", additionally with spruce (picea abies).
(Fig. 3: map of the native vegetation in Central Europe at about Christ's birth)
1.4 Relief, Geography and Land use
The following physical map (fig. 4) gives an impression of the relief of Germany, fig. 5 shows the division into natural areas.
(Fig.4: relief of Germany)
(Fig.5: natural areas of Germany.)
The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry published results of recent development of landuse in Germany (Old and New Federal States, 1993):
- 55.1% Agriculture
- 30.4% Forest
- 14.5% Other use (e.g. urban areas)