Thünen: Biodiversitätsmonitoring Wald

Institute of

WO Forest Ecosystems

Logo of the NaBioWald initiative with lettering, deer, owl, bat, beetle, frog and trees

National Biodiversity Monitoring in German forests (NaBioWald) - a federal state initiative

A working group consisting of representatives of federal and state institutions in the field of forestry and nature conservation is currently working on a monitoring concept with the involvement of experts. The aim of the monitoring is to obtain comprehensive and representative information on biodiversity in German forests and on the factors influencing it and their modes of action.

Background Information

The conservation of biodiversity is of great societal interest. The status and future development of biodiversity in German forests cannot be sufficiently determined by the already existing national monitoring programs. NaBioWald aims to close this gap by providing comprehensive and representative information on the development of biodiversity and on the effects of influencing variables. NaBioWald intends to provide an important basis for biodiversity-oriented forest management, to support the forest and nature conservation policies of the federal and state governments, and to contribute to the fulfilment of national and international reporting obligations. Of particular interest for NaBioWald is the recording of the interactions in space and time between the biological diversity of forests and environmental factors such as climate, soil conditions, pollutant and nutrient input and forest management. Interfaces to other monitoring programs outside the forest shall provide insights into land-use-overarching surveys in larger spatial units (landscapes, regions).

Next Steps

Following the kick-off workshop, in which the requirements for national biodiversity monitoring in forests were defined, the general objectives of NaBioWald such as requirements and propositions were published (Bolte et al. 2022). Since then, two further workshops have taken place, focusing on methodology and species selection. At the next workshop in fall 2024, the outline for the scientific concept and the area map will be presented for discussion.

Due to the manifold anthropogenic influences, as well as the complexity of the topic and the effort of monitoring, a division of work and tasks of many different actors from science, administration, forestry and nature conservation on federal and state level is required. A draft concept is to be discussed in an extended circle of experts and presented as a final draft to politicians for a decision on implementation.

Requirements and theses for the concept paper

Requirements for NaBioWald

Representativeness - The monitoring shall allow statements for Germany and document developments as well as changes

Integrativeness - The monitoring shall complement existing surveys and use their findings

Relevance - The monitoring shall expand and consolidate the knowledge base for policy advice and action control

Affordability - The monitoring shall be financially manageable

Feasibility - The monitoring must be possible in the sense of achievable

Acceptance - The monitoring must have the approval of society, stake-holders, and the scientific community

Propositions for a National Biodiversity Monitoring

1. National biodiversity monitoring in forests provides the basis for biodiversity-oriented adaptive management, for federal and state policies, and for national and international reporting.

2. The monitoring representatively assesses different levels of biodiversity with standardized methods and uses synergies with existing surveys.

3. Monitoring includes forest biodiversity as well as natural and anthropogenic influences ("drivers") of its development. It also defines interfaces to monitoring programs of other land uses.

4. Due to the complexity, the effort, and the large spatial coverage, the task of biodiversity monitoring, and the large area covered by the federal government and the states, it can only be carried out jointly with the participation of other actors. Thus, it requires long-term resources and the assignment of clear responsibilities.

References

Kroiher F, Michler B, Krüger I, Michel AK, Storch F, Bolte A, Ammer C, Kleinschmit J, Meyer P, Seebach L, Eichenberg D, Gossner MM, Schmitz F, Volz H-A (2022) Fachworkshop "Nationales Biodiversitätsmonitoring im Wald (NaBioWald)" am 2. und 3. November 2021 in Braunschweig. Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, 95 p, Thünen Working Paper 189, DOI:10.3220/WP1647518756000

Bolte A, Ammer C, Kleinschmit J, Kroiher F, Krüger I, Meyer P, Michler B, Müller-Kroehling S, Sanders TGM, Sukopp U (2022) Nationales Biodiversitätsmonitoring im Wald. Natur Landsch 97(8):398-401, DOI:10.19217/NuL2022-08-04

Bolte A, Ammer C, Kleinschmit J, Kroiher F, Krüger I, Meyer P, Michler B, Müller-Kroehling S, Sanders TGM, Sukopp U (2022) Suggestions and requirements for a national biodiversity monitoring in German forests (NaBioWald) : Poster. In: SFE2 GfÖ EEF joint meeting, International Conference on Ecological Sciences "Ecology and evolution: New perspectives and societal challenges", 21-25 Nov 2022 Metz (France): abstract book - poster presentations, regular sessions. p 53