A new conservation strategy for arable plant vegetation in Germany-the project "100 fields for biodiversity"

Abstract

It is prudent to conserve communities which are as species-rich as possible. This is the only means of ensuring that species diversity but also gene diversity is high enough to allow for the necessary adaptations to changed environmental conditions. Arable plant communities are a special case here because losses in the last 5 decades have been particularly severe. Numerous studies from Central Europe reported dramatic declines of the segetal flora.In most of the federal states of Germany, successful measures for protecting the segetal flora, such as the establishment of field flora reserves and field margin strip programmes have often unfortunately come to a halt due to changes in funding, lack of regional support or high levels of bureaucracy. The new project fields for biodiversity, which has been funded by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) since 2007, aims to establish a network of protected areas for the preservation of endangered segetal species in Germany. Management aimed at preserving and fostering arable wild is to be guaranteed in the long term on at least 100 particularly suitable arable sites.The feasibility study, funded by the DBU during 2007-2008 undertook: 1)Identification of floristically valuable arable sites throughout Germany and their incorporation in a database; 2)Compilation of an overview of field flora reserves/conservation fields still in existence based on a countrywide search; 3)Discussions about funding instruments and the options for implementing protection measures at a regional level with governmental authorities of all the federal states of Germany (excluding Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin); 4)Analysis of several alternative strategies for long-term financing of arable plant conservation.The project fields for biodiversity - establishing a nationwide conservation field network for wild arable plants - is a national endeavour to provide a network of conservation sites as a long-term response to the loss of arable wild which has advanced unabated for decades. As a first milestone in the implementation phase it is aimed at securing 30 sites during the first two years of the project. By the end of the entire funding period there should be a network of at least 100 conservation fields under long-term protection. This is a unique opportunity in the history of the protection of arable wild of creating an urgently needed conservation system with at least medium-term protection for native arable wild plants.