Anyone wanting to know how the forests in Central Europe are doing can hardly find out through the published opinions. The question: "Forest patient - terminally ill or perfectly healthy?" is typical of a public discussion that has been conducted from extreme positions for two decades. In a review of the current scientific knowledge, this book aims to close the identified gap. Therefore, it first presents the natural and anthropogenic influences as well as their effects on the forests. Furthermore, it is the goal of this book to clarify the interconnections of individual factors in highly interconnected forest ecosystems and possible protective measures. Naturally, the issues known under the keywords "acid rain," "ozone smog," "forest dieback or new types of forest damage" will also be addressed.