A review on the work of German urban biodiversity networks – from national to international activities

Abstract

This review analyses the development of three urban biodiversity networks in Germany since 1970. The first network “Biotope Mapping in Populated Areas” (BMPA) was founded by Herbert Sukopp (Berlin) and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation in connection with the development of the first comprehensive urban ecology studies in Berlin. The aim was to establish standardized methods for the investigation of urban biodiversity, obtain comparable results on the national level, and exchange information for sustainable development and management in urban areas. From 1979 to 2005 this network held 21 meetings in different German cities and one meeting in Vienna. In 2005, the network merged with the “Competence Network Urban Ecology” (CONTUREC) aiming to link local research and activities both on urban biodiversity and urban ecology. From 2006 to 2011 CONTUREC organized several national conferences, published their results in its own book series, and sent out a newsletter with information to local projects and current international research. With financial support by the German Ministry of the Environment CONTUREC organized in 2008 in Erfurt the first international conference “Urban Biodiversity and Design”. The results were brought to the following up 9th Conference of the Parties (COP) within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was held in Bonn (Germany) and underlined the urgent need to create an own Major Group for “Cities and Biodiversity”. On this occasion, the “International Network Urban Biodiversity and Design” (URBIO) was founded to promote urban biodiversity and design through a continuing dialogue with the CBD and their partners. This network was following CONTUREC and is organizing international conferences prior to the COP meetings and is exchanging over a newsletter and the website the state on urban biodiversity research and its application. To date, eight URBIO conferences and three URBIO workshops were held, and the results were published in a book and in special issues in international journals.This article describes the development and challenges to run the three different urban biodiversity networks. It gives suggestions for the future based on the experiences done so far.