Objective To analyze the effect of 20 years'practice of close-to-nature forest management, and summarize the experiences of implementing close-to-nature forest management in Germany.

Method Based on the data of two forest inventories (interval of 10 years), this paper emphatically analyzes the effect of 20 years'close-to-nature forest management practice in Germany.

Result The area of coniferous forests, such as Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris, has been significantly reducing in the past 20 years under close-to-nature forest management, while that of broadleaved forests and coniferous mixed forests continues to increase. All broadleaf species shows an volume increase of about 15 m³·hm^-2 in average, and all conifer species combined also shows a positive change of additional 4 m³·hm^-2, whereas Picea abies is the only species with a decline in volume of 5 m³·hm^-2. Most strikingly is the decrease in area of artificial forests and the increase in the classes close-to-nature and even pristine.

Conclusion Achieving the objective of close-to-nature forest management is a long-term process. Two major factors contributing to the high stock volume of 336 m³·hm^-2 are federal policies which promote and conserve forests and advanced forest management measures adopted by private forest owners. Close-to-nature forest management practice has resulted in an increase of mixed forests; the major challenge faced by German forestry is to convert plantation forests with a lower close-to-nature management level to the close-to-nature forest ecosystem.