biodiversity
Threatening species loss: What you can do about it in your garden
Until a few decades ago, the summer pheasant’s eye was widespread. Today, this wild field herb is under severe threat as a result of over-fertilization and the decline of field margins.
© IMAGO/Zoonar.com/Ralf Weise
Almost one in three plant species in Germany is threatened with extinction. Researchers have discovered a new refuge for many of them: private gardens.
Summer Adonis, Dyer’s blaze, Earpick Campion: These are just three of more than 1000 species that grow on the Red List. 28 percent of Germany’s flowering plants are either already extinct or more or less endangered, writes the Red List Center in Bonn. The main cause of the decline in biodiversity is intensive agriculture with the large amounts of fertilizer that farmers use to achieve high yields. This is unlikely to change much in the near future. With the exception of nature reserves and fallow land, slow-growing plants that prefer poor locations will have a hard time surviving in the long term.
Germany’s gardens could be a future refuge for them. Researchers from the University of Leipzig and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research iDiv have found that many of the threatened species can also be cultivated by private individuals in their own beds. Depending on the federal state, the rate ranges from 29 percent (Bavaria) to 53 percent (Hamburg). More than half of the threatened species are currently available in stores – as seeds or small plants, according to the studywhich was published as a scientific report in the journal “Nature”.
For each of the 16 federal states, the scientists Lists createdwhich plants are suitable for so-called conservation gardening. In addition to the Latin and German names, it also contains information on the appropriate location (from shady to sunny), the soil quality (dry to moist), the color of the flowers and whether they particularly attract butterflies or bees. For the end user, the lists available online are still a bit cumbersome, admits Ingmar Staud, botanist at the University of Leipzig and head of the study. He hopes that someone will be found who will develop a practical app based on the data.
This story is part of a week in which RTL Deutschland, as in previous years, is dealing intensively with issues of sustainability – this time with a focus on the underwater world and biodiversity. From September 16 to 20, you will also find corresponding offers in other RTL Deutschland media. Transparency note: Der stern is part of RTL Deutschland.
Species protection: ten enquiries by email every day
In any case, the interest of gardeners is high, says Staud: “Every day I get an average of ten emails with inquiries.” With an appropriate label, such “rescuer species” could well become best sellers. References such as “insect-friendly” or “bee pasture” are now a strong selling point for hobby gardeners. However, many of the perennials and shrubs currently offered in hardware stores and garden centers come from genetically identical clones. “This is not ideal in terms of species protection,” says the botanist; a large genetic diversity for the species to be saved would be better.
A study by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation shows that two thirds of Germans consider the protection of biodiversity to be a priority for society. Further studies in allotment gardens and at the University of Leipzig will show how the rescue program actually works in everyday life and what hobby or professional gardeners should pay particular attention to when caring for their plants, says Staud. Ultimately, private gardens and urban green spaces could make an important contribution to preserving biodiversity, but there is one thing they will not achieve: “We will not be able to save all endangered species this way.”
Note from the editors: This article was first published in September 2023, but we are offering it again as part of RTL Deutschland’s Sustainability Week.