Intensively used meadow with few species (Photo: Dr. Siegfried Springer, LfL)

Species-rich wet meadow (Photo: Dr. Siegfried Springer, LfL)

Biodiversity changes in Bavarian permanent grassland (BioBayGrün)

The trilateral project "Biodiversity changes in Bavarian permanent grassland" (BioBayGrün) by TUM, LfL and HSWT aims to utilize and evaluate historical images of vegetation in grassland. The researchers are documenting and analyzing how the plant diversity of Bavarian grasslands has changed over the last 70 years. The project makes an important contribution to the social discourse on the loss and protection of biodiversity in the cultural landscape. It lays the foundation for sustainable strategies for the management of grassland as well as a future investigation into the causes of the changes in the vegetation.

In recent centuries, there has been an increasing decline in species worldwide. In Bavaria, biodiversity loss has also achieved a high level of social relevance and visibility. However, such global developments do not necessarily reflect local developments in species richness. Many questions about the reasons for the decline in biodiversity remain to be answered. Historical vegetation surveys, in combination with current surveys, offer great potential for analyzing long-term changes in the field of diversity research. On this basis, the underlying causes of expected future changes can be investigated.

Participants: PD Dr. Sebastian Meyer (TUM, Consortium project leader), Prof. Martina Hofmann (HSWT), Dr. Gisbert Kuhn (LfL)

Duration: 01.01.2024 – 31.12.2025