Contrasting habitat use of morphologically similar bat species with differing conservation status in south‐eastern Australia

The east‐coast free‐tailed bat Mormopterus norfolkensis Gray, 1839 is a threatened insectivorous bat that is poorly known and as such conservation management strategies are only broadly prescribed. Insectivorous bats that use human‐modified landscapes are often adapted to foraging in open microhabitats. However, few studies have explored whether open‐adapted bats select landscapes with more of these microhabitat features. We compared three morphologically similar and sympatric, molossid bats (genus Mormopterus) with different conservation status in terms of their association with vegetation, climate, landform and land‐use attributes at landscape and local habitat element scales. We predicted that these species would use similar landscape types, with semi‐cleared and low density urban landscapes used more than forested and heavily cleared landscapes. Additionally, we explored which environmental variables best explained the occurrence of each species by constructing post‐hoc models and habitat suitability maps. Contrary to predictions, we found that the three species varied in their habitat use with no one landscape type used more extensively than other types. Overall, M. norfolkensis was more likely to occur in low‐lying, non‐urban, riparian habitats with little vegetation cover. Mormopterus species 2 occupied similar habitats, but was more tolerant of urban landscapes. In contrast, Mormopterus species 4 occurred more often in cleared than forested landscapes, particularly dry landscapes with little vegetation cover. The extensive use of coastal floodplains by the threatened M. norfolkensis is significant because these habitats are under increasing pressure from human land‐uses and the predicted increase in urbanization is likely to further reduce the amount of suitable habitat.     

Multi‐scale effects of habitat structure and landscape context on a vertebrate with limited dispersal ability (the brown‐throated sloth,Bradypus variegatus)

As human population, food consumption, and demand for forest products continue to rise over the next century, the pressures of land‐use change on biodiversity are projected to intensify. In tropical regions, countryside habitats that retain abundant tree cover and structurally complex canopies may complement protected areas by providing suitable habitats and landscape connectivity for a significant portion of the native biota. Species with low dispersal capabilities are among the most at risk of extinction as a consequence of land‐use change. We assessed how the spatial distribution of the brown‐throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), a model species for a vertebrate with limited dispersal ability, is shaped by differences in habitat structure and landscape patterns of countryside habitats in north‐central Costa Rica using a multi‐scale framework. We quantified the influence of local habitat characteristics and landscape context on sloth occurrence using mixed‐effects logistic regression models. We recorded 27 sloths within countryside habitats and found that both local and landscape factors significantly influenced their spatial distribution. Locally, sloths favored structurally complex habitats, with greater canopy cover and variation in tree height and basal area. At the landscape scale, sloths demonstrated a preference for habitats with high proportions of forest and nearby large tracts of forest. Although mixed‐use areas and tree plantations are not substitutes for protected forests, our results suggest they provide important supplemental habitats for sloths. To promote the conservation and long‐term viability of sloth populations in the tropical countryside, we recommend that land managers retain structurally complex vegetation and large patches of native habitat.     

Threatened vascular plant species in spontaneously revegetated post‐mining sites

The occurrence of threatened vascular plant species has been occasionally reported from some disturbed sites. Nevertheless, almost nothing is known about the conservation potential of post‐mining habitats for vascular plant species at a landscape scale. We asked how much threatened species occur in the artificial habitats, and if the participation of particular threatened species categories differ over the course of succession. We studied 10 successional series running in 321 post‐mining sites across the Czech Republic, Central Europe. In total, 2,597 vegetation samples comprising 935 vascular plant species were analyzed. We found 235 threatened species (14% of the country's threatened flora). The majority of the threatened plants, namely 223, avoided plots overgrown by woody species, in which only 48 species occurred. The importance of spontaneously revegetated habitats for nature conservation differed among successional stages formed by discontinuous vegetation cover (not fully developed and still open, up to approximately 25 years since site abandonment), which harbored especially critically endangered species of open habitats, and continuous vegetation cover (fully developed and closed, over approximately 25 years), which was suitable for specialized threatened species typical of fully established vegetation. A mosaic of various successional stages comprising both categories of vegetation cover should be applied as an effective restoration solution to maintain a variety of habitats for threatened species.     

Bird diversity and endemism along a land‐use gradient in Madagascar: The conservation value of vanilla agroforests

Land‐use change is the most important driver of biodiversity loss worldwide and particularly so in the tropics, where natural habitats are transformed into large‐scale monocultures or heterogeneous landscape mosaics of largely unknown conservation value. Using birds as an indicator taxon, we evaluated the conservation value of a landscape mosaic in northeastern Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot and the center of global vanilla production. We assessed bird species richness and composition by conducting point counts across seven prevalent land‐use types (forest‐ and fallow‐derived vanilla agroforests, woody and herbaceous fallow that are part of a shifting cultivation system, rice paddy, forest fragment and contiguous old‐growth forest). We find that old‐growth forest had the highest species richness, driven by a high share of endemics. Species richness and community composition in forest‐derived vanilla agroforest were similar to forest fragment, whereas fallow‐derived vanilla agroforest was most comparable to woody fallow. The open land‐use types herbaceous fallow and rice paddy had fewest species. Across forest fragments, vanilla agroforests, and woody fallows, endemic bird species richness was positively correlated to landscape‐scale forest cover. We conclude that both fallow‐ and forest‐derived vanilla agroforests play an important but contrasting role for bird conservation: Fallow‐derived agroforests are less valuable but take fallow land out of the shifting cultivation cycle, possibly preventing further degradation. Conversely, forest‐derived agroforests contribute to forest degradation but may avoid total loss of tree cover from forest fragments. Considering the land‐use history of agroforests may thus be a promising avenue for future research beyond the case of vanilla. Abstract in Malagasay is available with online material     

Altered beta diversity in post‐agricultural woodlands: two hypotheses and the role of scale

Agricultural land use commonly leaves a persistent signature on the ecosystems that develop after agricultural abandonment. This agricultural legacy limits the biodiversity supported by post‐agricultural habitats compared to remnant habitats that have never been used for agriculture. In particular, beta diversity (variation in community composition across space) at both large and small spatial scales can differ between post‐agricultural and remnant habitats, but we do not understand the mechanisms driving these differences. We surveyed plant communities at 29 pairs of post‐agricultural and remnant longleaf pine woodlands (58 total woodlands) to test for patterns consistent with two hypothesized mechanisms for why post‐agricultural ecosystems support altered beta diversity. 1) Post‐agricultural sites support different levels of underlying environmental heterogeneity than remnants. 2) Establishment of species associated with remnant habitats into post‐ agricultural woodlands is limited by dispersal and/or environmental conditions. We found no support for the environmental heterogeneity hypothesis and strong support for the idea that species establishment limits reassembling communities. Our results revealed a novel and important nuance to the establishment limitation hypothesis: spatially constrained, but not completely prevented, re‐establishment of remnant‐associated species in post‐agricultural woodlands increased within‐site beta diversity, contrary to results at larger among‐site (landscape) scales. Our use of a powerful paired‐site design permits these insights into how agriculture and abandonment affect beta diversity at two spatial scales, highlighting the prominent influence of edges even a half century after agricultural abandonment. The importance of constrained species establishment during ecosystem recovery, and its scale‐dependent effect, could provide valuable guidance to enhance the utility of post‐agricultural habitats for biodiversity conservation.     

Vielfältiges Leben in Sand und Heide

Excursion in Brandenburg: Species richness in sand heathlands After many decades of an intensive military use, the former military training areas of Eastern Germany play a major role as huge, unfragmented biodiversity hotspots. While intensive agriculture causes a serious threat to many species in our cultural landscape, heathlands and dry grasslands are unique habitats on the nutrient‐poor soils in the “box of sand” of the Mark Brandenburg. But these habitats need a strong conservation management with targeted nursing measures such as removal of shrubs, grazing, soil wounding and controlled burning. However, some forest sites of the military training areas are often suitable for a wilderness development. The Heinz Sielmann Foundation pursues these nature conservation objectives and makes great nature experiences possible in the conservation areas.     

The response of bird feeding guilds to forest fragmentation reveals conservation strategies for a critically endangered African eco‐region

South African coastal forests form part of two critically endangered eco‐regions and harbor an extinction debt. Remaining fragments are small, isolated, and embedded within a range of human land‐use types. In this study, we ask: how should we invest conservation resources if we want to restore this landscape and prevent predicted extinctions? To answer this question, we use path analyses to determine the direct and indirect effects of forest area, forest connectivity, and matrix land‐use types on species richness within five bird feeding guilds. We found that forest connectivity had a significant direct effect on insectivores—fragments that were more connected had more species of insectivores than those that were isolated. Moreover, forest area had a significant indirect effect on insectivores that was mediated through tree species richness. Larger fragments had more species of trees, which led to more species of insectivores. Fragment area, connectivity, matrix land‐use type, and tree species richness had no significant effects on the species richness of frugivores, nectarivores, granivores, or generalist feeders. To conserve insectivores in coastal forests, conservation efforts should focus on maximizing fragment connectivity across the landscape, but also protect the tree community within fragments from degradation. This can be achieved by including matrix habitats that adjoin forest fragments within forest conservation and restoration plans. Natural matrix habitats can increase connectivity, provide supplementary resources, buffer fragments from degradation, and could play an important role in safeguarding diversity and preventing extinctions in this threatened human‐modified landscape.     

Effects of landscape structure and land-use intensity on similarity of plant and animal communities

Aim Species richness in itself is not always sufficient to evaluate land management strategies for nature conservation. The exchange of species between local communities may be affected by landscape structure and land‐use intensity. Thus, species turnover, and its inverse, community similarity, may be useful measures of landscape integrity from a diversity perspective. Location A European transect from France to Estonia. Methods We measured the similarity of plant, bird, wild bee, true bug, carabid beetle, hoverfly and spider communities sampled along gradients in landscape composition (e.g. total availability of semi‐natural habitat), landscape configuration (e.g. fragmentation) and land‐use intensity (e.g. pesticide loads). Results Total availability of semi‐natural habitats had little effect on community similarity, except for bird communities, which were more homogeneous in more natural landscapes. Bee communities, in contrast, were less similar in landscapes with higher percentages of semi‐natural habitats. Increased landscape fragmentation decreased similarity of true bug communities, while plant communities showed a nonlinear, U‐shaped response. More intense land use, specifically increased pesticide burden, led to a homogenization of bee, bug and spider communities within sites. In these cases, habitat fragmentation interacted with pesticide load. Hoverfly and carabid beetle community similarity was differentially affected by higher pesticide levels: for carabid beetles similarity decreased, while for hoverflies we observed a U‐shaped relationship. Main conclusions Our study demonstrates the effects of landscape composition, configuration and land‐use intensity on the similarity of communities. It indicates reduced exchange of species between communities in landscapes dominated by agricultural activities. Taxonomic groups differed in their responses to environmental drivers and using but one group as an indicator for ‘biodiversity’ as such would thus not be advisable.     

Integrating habitat diversity into species conservation in the Mediterranean mosaic landscape

Biodiversity conservation requires strategies that encompass a variety of land uses and habitat diversity. In this study, we used sites of high ecological interest identified on the basis of the distribution of priority plant and vertebrate species to assess the implications of habitat diversity for conservation management in the Mediterranean mosaic landscape. 40% of the priority species occur in open habitats that depend on continued human presence and low-intensity land-use activities. Furthermore, 70% of the sites have more than one species habitat and 15% of sites contain more than four different species habitats. By explicitly integrating localized habitat variation, conservation planning can address the multiple conservation issues at stake in regions of high landscape diversity to provide clear and effective management objectives.     

Long‐term colonization ecology of forest‐dwelling species in a fragmented rural landscape – dispersal versus establishment

Species colonization in a new habitat patch is an efficiency indicator of biodiversity conservation. Colonization is a two‐step process of dispersal and establishment, characterized by the compatibility of plant traits with landscape structure and habitat conditions. Therefore, ecological trait profiling of specialist species is initially required to estimate the relative importance of colonization filters. Old planted parks best satisfy the criteria of a newly created and structurally matured habitat for forest‐dwelling plant species. We sampled species in 230 ancient deciduous forests (source habitat), 74 closed‐canopy manor parks (target habitats), 151 linear wooded habitats (landscape corridors), and 97 open habitats (isolating matrix) in Estonia. We defined two species groups of interest: forest (107 species) and corridor specialists (53 species). An extra group of open habitat specialists was extracted for trait scaling. Differing from expectations, forest specialists have high plasticity in reproduction mechanisms: smaller seeds, larger dispersules, complementary selfing ability, and diversity of dispersal vectors. Forest specialists are shorter, less nutrient‐demanding and mycorrhizal‐dependent, stress‐tolerant disturbance‐sensitive competitors, while corridor specialists are large‐seeded disturbance‐tolerant competitors. About 40% of species from local species pools have immigrated into parks. The historic forest area, establishment‐related traits, and stand quality enhance the colonization of forest specialists. The openness of landscape and mowing in the park facilitate corridor specialists. Species traits in parks vary between a forest and corridor specialist, except for earlier flowering and larger propagules. Forest species are not dispersal limited, but they continue to be limited by habitat properties even in the long term. Therefore, the shady parts of historic parks should be appreciated as important forest biodiversity‐enhancing landscape structures. The habitat quality of secondary stands can be improved by nurturing a heterogeneous shrub and tree layer, and modest herb layer management.     

Landscape context affects the relationship between local and landscape species richness of butterflies in semi‐natural habitats

Local species richness of butterflies can be expected to benefit from both local habitat properties as well as the availability of suitable habitats and source populations in the surrounding landscape. Whether local species richness is dependent on local or landscape factors can be assessed by examining the relationship between local and landscape species richness. Here we studied how local species richness is related to landscape‐level species richness in landscapes differing in agricultural intensity. The relationship was linear for field boundaries in intensively cultivated landscapes and non‐linear in less‐intensively cultivated landscapes. In landscapes containing semi‐natural grasslands (on average 4% of overall land‐use), the relationship was non‐linear for field boundaries, but linear when considering local species richness of the grasslands themselves. These results show that local factors are more important than landscape factors in determining local species richness in landscapes which contained semi‐natural grasslands. Local species richness was limited by landscape factors in intensively cultivated landscapes. This interpretation was supported by the relationship between local species richness and landscape‐scale average mobility and generalist percentage of butterfly assemblages. We conclude that the management of field boundary habitat quality for butterflies is expected to be most effective in landscapes with semi‐natural grasslands, the species composition of which in turn is dependent on the regional occurrence of grasslands. Based on our results, managing non‐crop habitats for the conservation of habitat specialists and species with poor mobility will be most efficient in regions where patches of semi‐natural grasslands occur.     

A small mammal’s map: identifying and improving the large-scale and cross-border habitat connectivity for the hazel dormouse <Emphasis Type="Italic">Muscardinus avellanarius</Emphasis> in a fragmented agricultural landscape

Fragmentation and habitat loss pose major threats to global biodiversity. Especially forest dwelling species with small ranges and high habitat specialisation are affected by ongoing land use change. Building projects for infrastructural purposes, expanding settlements, and extensive agricultural areas are assumed to have a high impact on these species. The European Habitat’s Directive aims to conserve and restore habitat networks to lower these impacts. We propose that the idea of securing habitat networks for protected species should be incorporated within large scale landscape planning e.g. by modelling and improving corridors for umbrella species. Within a Danish-German project we developed a model demonstrating potential connecting corridors for Muscardinus avellanarius, a specialised forest dwelling rodent species with low dispersal ability. We used presence data and eco-geographical variables to find a data based time-efficient procedure which may be applied also in other species for future landscape planning. The habitat suitability model shows that the hazel dormouse occupies a narrow niche with highly suitable habitats comprising edge habitats. It indicates the preference of forest patches, linear structures and networks of the mentioned habitats. Along with connectivity the diversity of suitable habitats diversity is the major factor predicting hazel dormouse presence. For conservation management, we calculated habitat corridors and highlight sections with missing connections. This allowed us to accentuate regions of high management interest. The results represent the foundation not only for this cross-border conservation project, but also for long-term dormouse conservation on a federal-state level.     

Plant functional group composition and large‐scale species richness in European agricultural landscapes

Question: Which are the plant functional groups responding most clearly to agricultural disturbances? Which are the relative roles of habitat availability, landscape configuration and agricultural land use intensity in affecting the functional composition and diversity of vascular plants in agricultural landscapes? Location: 25 agricultural landscape areas in seven European countries. Methods: We examined the plant species richness and abundance in 4 km × 4 km landscape study sites. The plant functional group classification was derived from the BIOLFLOR database. Factorial decomposition of functional groups was applied. Results: Natural habitat availability and low land use intensity supported the abundance and richness of perennials, sedges, pteridophytes and high nature quality indicator species. The abundance of clonal species, C and S strategists was also correlated with habitat area. An increasing density of field edges explained a decrease in richness of high nature quality species and an increase in richness of annual graminoids. Intensive agriculture enhanced the richness of annuals and low nature quality species. Conclusions: Habitat patch availability and habitat quality are the main drivers of functional group composition and plant species richness in European agricultural landscapes. Linear elements do not compensate for the loss of habitats, as they mostly support disturbance tolerant generalist species. In order to conserve vascular plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes, the protection and enlargement of existing patches of (semi‐) natural habitats appears to be more effective than relying on the rescue effect of linear elements. This should be done in combination with appropriate agricultural management techniques to limit the effect of agrochemicals to the fields.     

Combined effects of landscape composition and heterogeneity on farmland avian diversity

Conserving biodiversity on farmland is an essential element of worldwide efforts for reversing the global biodiversity decline. Common approaches involve improving the natural component of the landscape by increasing the amount of natural and seminatural habitats (e.g., hedgerows, woodlots, and ponds) or improving the production component of the landscape by increasing the amount of biodiversity‐friendly crops. Because these approaches may negatively impact on economic output, it was suggested that an alternative might be to enhance the diversity (compositional heterogeneity) or the spatial complexity (configurational heterogeneity) of land cover types, without necessarily changing composition. Here, we develop a case study to evaluate these ideas, examining whether managing landscape composition or heterogeneity, or both, would be required to achieve conservation benefits on avian diversity in open Mediterranean farmland. We surveyed birds in farmland landscapes of southern Portugal, before (1995–1997) and after (2010–2012) the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform of 2003, and related spatial and temporal variation in bird species richness to variables describing the composition, and the compositional and configurational heterogeneity, of the natural and production components of the landscape. We found that the composition of the production component had the strongest effects on avian diversity, with a particularly marked effect on the richness of farmland and steppe bird species. Composition of the natural component was also influential, mainly affecting the richness of woodland/shrubland species. Although there were some effects of compositional and configurational heterogeneity, these were much weaker and inconsistent than those of landscape composition. Overall, we suggest that conservation efforts in our area should focus primarily on the composition of the production component, by striving to maximize the prevalence of biodiversity‐friendly crops. This recommendation probably applies to other areas such as ours, where a range of species of conservation concern is strongly associated with crop habitats.     

An expert-based landscape permeability model for assessing the impact of agricultural management on amphibian migration

The persistence of pond-breeding amphibian populations is influenced on different spatial scales ranging from the individual breeding pond to surrounding habitat patches to landscape clusters of breeding pond populations. The connectivity among breeding ponds as well as the availability of suitable terrestrial habitats surrounding the ponds plays a major role in long-term viability of amphibian species. Besides road traffic and urban structures agricultural land activity can disrupt landscape connectivity through the use of pesticides, fertilizers and physical activity such as tillage. We developed an expert-based model to assess the impact of agricultural management measures on the migration area and terrestrial habitat availability for seven amphibian species. The model is based on a Habitat Suitability Index to identify suitable terrestrial habitats and includes a landscape permeability approach. Size of migration areas, connectivity of breeding ponds and number of reachable terrestrial habitats were modeled considering species-specific migration ranges and habitat preferences. We consider how pesticides application might lead to fragmentation and isolation of amphibian breeding pond populations. Therefore the potential disrupting impact of pesticides was simulated by inflating landscape resistance to medium and high migration cost. One amphibian species showed a decrease of migration area by 48.3% and a decrease of reachable terrestrial habitats by 41.5% at high migration costs. Three additional species showed a decrease of their migration areas between 31.5 and 35.7%. At increased migration cost, some of the investigated populations were isolated at breeding pond level or restricted to pond clusters. Our model could be used to prioritize conservation efforts for pond-breeding amphibians with adequate consideration of agricultural land use and its impact on amphibian migration.     

Jaguar Panthera onca Habitat Modeling in Landscapes Facing High Land‐use Transformation Pressure—Findings from Mato Grosso,Brazil

The modeling of top predators' habitats and the understanding of their environmental requirements in landscapes facing high land‐use transformation pressure have long‐standing importance for the development of conservation strategies. Multi‐distance spatial cluster analysis and logistic regression with environmental weighting for pseudo‐absence designation were applied to understand spatial patterns of jaguar occurrence in Mato Grosso state (Central Western Brazil). This location has been under intense deforestation pressure since the 1970s and is historically one of the most important jaguar habitats in the world. By using a model of five independent variables, we were able to achieve a 73.2 percent success rate of case/non‐case classification and indicate not only a general loss of habitat suitability, but also an increasing interruption of potential migration corridors in the state. Our analysis on a regional scale demonstrates the importance of forest and savannah woodland for jaguar habitat maintenance in the Mato Grosso state. The jaguar species demonstrates a sensitivity to landscape fragmentation, which can be parameterized for improved model building by metrics such as edge density and patch size. Comparisons with previous studies in South America show that parameter selection for jaguar habitat modeling is highly scale‐dependent and that habitat suitability in partially transformed landscapes could be maintained if fragmentation is minimized. Recent land‐use transformation, however, has significantly weakened the conservation status of the Pantanal‐Amazon corridor.     

Multiple habitat use by declining migratory birds necessitates joined‐up conservation

Many species depend on multiple habitats at different points in space and time. Their effective conservation requires an understanding of how and when each habitat is used, coupled with adequate protection. Migratory shorebirds use intertidal and supratidal wetlands, both of which are affected by coastal landscape change. Yet the extent to which shorebirds use artificial supratidal habitats, particularly at highly developed stopover sites, remains poorly understood leading to potential deficiencies in habitat management. We surveyed shorebirds on their southward migration in southern Jiangsu, a critical stopover region in the East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF), to measure their use of artificial supratidal habitats and assess linkages between intertidal and supratidal habitat use. To inform management, we examined how biophysical features influenced occupancy of supratidal habitats, and whether these habitats were used for roosting or foraging. We found that shorebirds at four of five sites were limited to artificial supratidal habitats at high tide for ~11–25 days per month because natural intertidal flats were completely covered by seawater. Within the supratidal landscape, at least 37 shorebird species aggregated on artificial wetlands, and shorebirds were more abundant on larger ponds with less water cover, less vegetation, at least one unvegetated bund, and fewer built structures nearby. Artificial supratidal habitats were rarely used for foraging and rarely occupied when intertidal flats were available, underscoring the complementarity between supratidal roosting habitat and intertidal foraging habitat. Joined‐up artificial supratidal management and natural intertidal habitat conservation are clearly required at our study site given the simultaneous dependence by over 35,000 migrating shorebirds on both habitats. Guided by observed patterns of habitat use, there is a clear opportunity to improve habitat condition by working with local land custodians to consider shorebird habitat requirements when managing supratidal ponds. This approach is likely applicable to shorebird sites throughout the EAAF.     

Development and implementation of a high nature value (HNV) farming indicator for Denmark

During the latest decades, conservation awareness have increased and conservation of biodiversity is no longer an agenda restricted to pristine natural areas of high value but is being integrated in cultivated landscapes characterized by increasing fragmentation and anthropogenic pressures. Conservation of species has become relevant even in agricultural areas especially in countries heavily influenced by intensive farming and ubiquitous infrastructure. Based on the UN biodiversity convention all EU membership countries are obliged to develop a high nature value (HNV) farming indicator. The purpose of such an indicator is to provide a basis for informed decisions in prioritizing agricultural subsidies allocating these to high nature value areas. Here, the development of a national HNV farming indicator for Denmark is presented and its application in the Danish government-controlled agricultural subsidy system is outlined. The Danish HNV farming indicator is based on landscape structural parameters, known occurrences of natural and semi-natural habitats, current land use and the distributions of rare and threatened species. It covers all agricultural areas as well as Natura 2000 areas and nationally protected sites in Denmark, ranking them on a 0–13 point scale from low to high nature value according to their estimated value for threatened and rare biodiversity. The Danish government recognizes areas reaching at least 5 points as HNV farming areas eligible to subsidy and from 2015 and onwards the HNV farming indicator will be implemented for allocating part of the agricultural subsidies under the Rural Development Program in Denmark. The indicator will be updated annually to include the growing knowledge of species occurrence and land use changes.     

Heizen mit Orchideen. Projekt “Prograss” nutzt artenreiche Wiesen zur Energieerzeugung

Heating with orchids Species‐rich meadows in Germany and Europe are highly threatened habitats. For conservation of these habitats regular cutting is necessary to prevent the invasion of high‐growing woody plants which otherwise would rule out the sun‐loving meadow species. However, due to a low energy content the extracted biomass is not well suitable for modern agricultural use or conventional energy production. Currently, scientists of the University of Kassel apply a new procedure which converts the species‐rich biomass into solid fuel for thermal combustion. During this process the extracted plant fluids are fermented to biogas, whereas the solid plant remains are pressed to pellets. In this manner the scientists intend to contribute to nature and climate protection as well as to an additional income for farmers.