Apologies. I was new to the forum and failed to notice the four pages of existing posts, thinking that there were no replies. (I've now found the flat mode).

Interesting bit of history though. I'll read through the thread in full. I'm aware that German forests are now thriving, but I wasn't aware that it wasn't solely due to management, but they that were never so extensively deforested. I lived for four years in Scotland where the forests are heavily managed, but the historical deforestation was so extensive that large parts of the country are now essentially barren!

Jon