Some examples of different landscape systems and their biodiversity potential

Abstract

The Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED in Rio 1992) presents a main challenge for the development of regional strategies for biodiversity conservation. If it is to be adopted politically, then targets will have to be based on reliable documentation of the biotic `ingredients' of the different landscape systems and moreover, targets have to be adapted to the regional socio-economic systems. Landscape systems were delineated which are representative of the sequence of different land use and impact intensities in central Europe. In a first test, these systems were characterized by generally available biological and socio-economic data, in order to identify the conservation performance of the dominant central European landscape systems. The results of this approach will be discussed with respect to restoration needs, preservation measures and development proposals for the different central European landscape systems. It can be shown that special attention for biodiversity conservation in central Europe has to be paid to the urban/suburban landscapes because of their high biological diversity i.e. coverage of important sites for nature conservation and species richness. In addition, the coupling of the floristic data with a scheme of reproduction times for vegetation formations and habitat types, helps to outline different packages of conservation action plans for sustainable regional development.