At the turn of the year, the mood in the German timber industry brightened noticeably. According to the index calculated by the Munich-based ifo Institute, companies rated their business situation significantly better in December than in the previous month. The pessimism with regard to the coming months also eased noticeably.    The assessment of the overall economic situation is likely to play a role here. According to economic researchers, the recession is likely to be less severe than initially expected by many. It is true that the high inflation rate and rising construction interest rates are ...