DBU Project 33654/01
Biodiversity in the city is one of the priority fields of action of the BMUB's Nature Conservation Initiative 2020 as part of the national biodiversity strategy. Urban water bodies have great potential for promoting aquatic biodiversity, which is particularly at risk (Goertzen & Suhling 2015: Ins. Cons. Diver. 8). As these water bodies are subject to a variety of influences and often intensive uses that impair their ecological status, efforts are being made to improve them through more careful hydraulic engineering measures and revitalisation. However, very little is known about the effects of different maintenance measures on aquatic biocoenoses. The relationships between other urban factors and biodiversity are also insufficiently researched and understood.
The need for an ecologically effective maintenance concept for urban water bodies became clear from our collaboration with practice partners in Braunschweig. Our aim is to develop a management concept that sustainably promotes the conservation of local biodiversity and the ecosystem services of urban water bodies. We will evaluate the current repertoire of measures in terms of their impact on biodiversity and deepen our understanding of the links between urban influences and aquatic biodiversity as well as the occurrence of protected species. In particular, we will combine scientific research with practical requirements in order to derive recommendations for maintenance measures.
We expect that the biodiversity of macrozoobenthos can be specifically promoted through appropriate maintenance and care of water bodies. We are recording the species diversity of macrozoobenthos at 70 sampling sites in running waters and of dragonflies and gastropods as well as aquatic plants at 30 still waters. Eight years of preliminary work have provided us with a data basis for running waters. In order to analyse the effects of maintenance measures, we will intersect the type of maintenance (e.g. mowing, clearing, grazing) and its intensity (frequency, area) with data. In addition, we will carry out further detailed studies on urban factors influencing watercourses and pilot studies to evaluate maintenance measures. Based on these results, a concept for measures will be developed and made available to potential users such as maintenance associations and municipal authorities in the form of a guideline.
Project Lead Prof. Dr. Frank Suhling
Team Diana Goertzen
External Cooperation Partners Stadtentwässerung Braunschweig GmbH, Untere Naturschutzbehörde der Stadt Braunschweig, Förderkreis Umwelt- und Naturschutz Hondelage (fun) e.V.
Duration 2017-2020
Funding Body DBU