Bannwald

Bann has many historical meanings in German, one of which refers to an area controlled by and set aside for the use of a landowner in medieval times (comparable to the forests subject to the royal ban in Anglo-Saxon England).

[2][3] The (obsolete) French literal equivalent bambois (also: banbois)[4][5][6] is still the toponym of local forests[7] in areas which once were part of the former Holy Roman Empire.

In the mountain valleys of Switzerland banned forests had the function to protect against avalanches and also to provide sufficient timber for fencing torrents.

The concept of Bannwald plays an important part in Ludwig Ganghofer's novel Die Martinsklause in which a tyrannical administrator in Berchtesgaden claims excessive privileges.

Due to their structural diversity in living trees and dry wood banned forests are refugia for many endangered species of animals, plants, and mushrooms.

"[8] In Hesse a Bannwald is a forest which because of its location, size and extraordinary importance for hydrological balance, climate and air purification has to be preserved and may be cut only in exceptional cases.