Overview of German biodiversity
Germany is home to 48,000 animal species, 10,300 plant species and 14,000 fungal species. Since the 19th century, this biodiversity has been in decline. Since the early 2000s, a third of all bird species have seen their populations decline. According to the 2019 National Bird Protection Report, the species most affected are those frequenting cultivated environments, such as lapwings and partridges. These two species have lost more than 90% of their population in around forty years. The intensification of agriculture, with its well-known harmful techniques such as monoculture and the use of biocides, is largely responsible for this decline. The same phenomenon is responsible for the disappearance of three-quarters of all flying insects (dragonflies, bees, butterflies, among others). This decline in insects, and therefore pollinators, also results in lower agricultural yields.
Germany is far from alone in this respect, however, and is in fact part of a trend affecting the whole of Europe, if not the world. In fact, it is faring better than other European countries, avoiding the far more dramatic situations seen in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
As far as flora is concerned, one third of the country is covered by forests, i.e. over 11 million hectares. Bavaria has the largest surface area, but in terms of relative surface area, Rhineland-Palatinate comes out on top, with 42% of its area covered by forest. This state is home to the country's largest forest: the Palatinate Forest, covering almost 2,000 km2. More than half of Germany's forests are made up of coniferous trees, mainly pines and spruces, while beech and oak are also very common. These four trees alone account for three-quarters of German woodland. On a national scale, forests are doing rather well, with a trend towards an increase in their surface area, as in France. This phenomenon is encouraged by the Federal Forestry Act, which obliges owners to reforest their land after clear-cutting, and which requires authorization from the authorities before a forest can be felled. On the other hand, these forests are mainly man-made and cultivated, and the country no longer has any large primeval forests left in the wild.
Biodiversity and politics
Environmental protection has a long history in German politics. As early as 1994, biotope protection was enshrined in the Basic Law, i.e. the German constitution. In 2007, another landmark law was signed, this time to establish a national strategy to protect biodiversity. It defined 330 objectives, which serve as guidelines for both the Länder and the Federal State, and describes environmental protection as "a mission of humanity and an ethical obligation". In 1973, Germany was also the first country to sign the Washington Convention, legislating on trade in living species. One of the best political weapons for the defense of biodiversity is, of course, the creation of protected areas. Germany has aligned itself with the European Union, whose objective is to protect at least 30% of its territory. At present, the country has 16 national parks, most of which are forests. By far the largest, however, is the Wadden Sea National Park in Schleswig-Holstein, which protects a coastal and marine environment.
Despite the population's strong involvement in ecological issues and the often precursory political measures taken, Germany remains a highly industrialized, urbanized and agricultural country, with a third of its surface area dedicated to intensive farming. As a result, environmental issues often come up against these three dams. The country has set itself the target of reducing the amount of land occupied by buildings and roads by 30 hectares a day by 2030, and of leaving 2% of its territory in a wild state.
The tragedy of the European bison
The European bison(Bos bonasus) has become a symbol of species extinction in Germany. Once abundant in Central Europe, it has now disappeared. It became totally extinct in Germany in the 17th century, as a result of intensive hunting and the destruction of its primary forest habitat, which was replaced by agricultural fields. In 2017, for the first time in over 250 years, a wild European bison crossed the border between Poland and Germany, only for the authorities, fearing for the safety of the population, to have the animal shot that very day in the state of Brandenburg. The affair caused quite a stir in Germany and abroad, particularly in Poland, especially as the European bison is a protected species.
Since then, Germany has made significant efforts to promote the reintroduction of the giant. In particular, in 2019, it signed a cross-border project named ŁośBonasus, in partnership with Poland, aimed at providing the bison and elk with a suitable living environment spread over both countries. On the German side, the project mainly affects the Länder of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. North Rhine-Westphalia, meanwhile, has also been home to bison since 2013 as part of another project. A herd of bison has been reintroduced into the Rothaargebirg mid-range mountain range. The project has been a success, and the herd of around thirty individuals now lives in freedom under the watchful eye of scientists, with no incidents, not even a collision with a car, having been observed.
The success of reintroductions
Like the European bison, other animals are the subject of reintroduction programs. The Bearded Vulture, for example, is the subject of a reintroduction program in the Berchtesgaden National Park. The Bavarian Alps are now home to over 200 individuals of this scavenging species, which had once disappeared from the country.
Other birds, such as the little owl, have also been reintroduced. The Nuthe-Nieplitz Nature Park in Brandenburg has carried out a vast campaign to reintroduce this nocturnal raptor, which had deserted the region mainly due to the destruction of its forest habitat and the systematic felling of the dead trees in which the bird nests. The nature park has worked hard to regenerate the owl's habitat, and its aim is now to establish a stable population of at least 150 individuals. To achieve this, specimens from captivity are reintroduced, thanks to the participation of zoos such as Basel Zoo.
As for mammals, Germany has long been involved in the reintroduction of the Northern Lynx. Europe's largest feline has suffered the full brunt of hunting, road traffic and habitat destruction, with the result that its population has declined sharply across the continent. It was first successfully reintroduced to the Bavarian National Park in 1990. More recently, at the end of 2023, the state of Baden-Württemberg, which borders France, is seeking to establish a new population of the feline, which has been absent from this territory since the 19th century. In fact, since the 1980s, a few individuals have been making their own way from Switzerland into the state, more specifically into the Black Forest, a sign that the environment is recovering well, making the reintroduction program possible. The lynx is now present in 10 German Länder.
Zoos are often key players in these reintroduction programs, as they hold animals in captivity that have become rare in the wild. Opel-Zoo, in the state of Hesse, runs over thirty breeding programs. One of the most challenging concerns the European mink. This small rodent, once hunted for its precious fur and whose habitat - wetlands - is disappearing, has become one of Europe's most endangered animals. The young mink were released in Germany, notably in Saarland and on the banks of Lake Steinhude in Lower Saxony.
Other animal species have been successfully reintroduced, including the black stork, harbor seal, European beaver, bald eagle and wolf. In 2000, a wolf cub was born in the wild for the first time, 150 years after the species had been eliminated from the country by hunting. Today, over a hundred wolf packs roam the country. These reintroductions are a sign of the success of environmental protection measures and the regeneration of certain natural habitats.
Plants, too, are the subject of reintroduction programs, such as the Bavarian cochlearia(Cochlearia bavarica). This white-flowered plant is endemic to Bavaria, meaning that it is found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, since the 1980s, its population has been declining dangerously, to the point of near extinction. It is currently the subject of a reintroduction program launched at the end of 2010.
The miracle of the bald ibis
Of all the reintroduction projects in Germany, the bald ibis is certainly the most talked-about. This strange bird with its bald head and long, iridescent black feathers disappeared from Europe 300 years ago. While it is still found on other continents, its population is now so low that it appears on the dreaded list of the world's 100 most endangered species, drawn up by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2012. Once again, hunting, massive pesticide use and habitat destruction are to blame. Once again, an Austrian zoo is providing the precious individuals for reintroduction into the Alps.
But there's a problem: bald ibises are migratory birds. It's not so much that they've lost their migratory instinct, but rather that they don't know which migration route to follow. The Waldrappteam, a nature conservation and research association whose main mission is the reintroduction of the bald ibis in Germany, Austria and Italy, has taken it upon itself to show them the way. Their method of teaching the birds the migratory routes is original to say the least: they lead them by driving a microlight. The birds, accustomed to their breeder since birth, then follow the flying vehicle, forming an unusual convoy. Since 2004, the team of caretakers has been covering up to 300 km per day of migration, thus ensuring the success of the first phase of the bird's reintroduction.
Some of Germany's iconic animals
The eagle has been Germany's national animal since the origins of the Holy Roman Empire, which itself borrowed the symbol from the Roman Empire. Unlike Poland, where the eagle is white, the German eagle, or Reichsadler, is always black. There are just under a dozen different species of eagle in Germany, including the famous golden eagle, the booted eagle and the shriek eagle. Although it does not occupy the coveted status of national animal, the stork is nonetheless a true symbol of the country. This migratory bird spends all summer in Germany, among other Central European countries, where it builds its nest and raises its young. Although they are found throughout the country, a larger population can be found in the east, particularly in the Länder of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. German storks have played a crucial role in our understanding of bird migration, through the Pfeilstörche phenomenon. In German, this means "storks with arrows". Indeed, almost thirty live storks pierced by arrows have been observed in Germany throughout history. The first, nicknamed the Rostocker Pfeilstorch because its stuffed body is preserved at Rockstock University, is the most famous. This specimen was observed in 1822 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, flying with an arrow through its neck. As soon as it was shot, the arrow was identified as coming from Central Africa, thus proving the bird's great migration. Previously, speculation had been rife as to what happened to the storks during the winter, with some claiming that they metamorphosed, others that they retreated to the bottom of lakes.
Berlin, for example, has had a brown bear as its emblem since the Middle Ages. You'll find him not only on coats of arms, but also all over the capital in the form of Buddy Bär, modern sculptures of the animal. Unfortunately, the brown bear completely disappeared from Germany in 1835. In 2006, an individual was spotted for the first time in two centuries, and was, as with the bison previously mentioned, shot after a month, as it was causing damage to livestock.
Another of Germany's emblematic birds, the sandhill crane has made the country one of its main European strongholds. It spends the summer in the north of the country, before migrating to North Africa, offering an astonishing spectacle to birdwatchers who come to observe the immense V-shaped formations. Its population has increased considerably over the last thirty years.
German forests are also home to a large population of red deer. The red deer is the country's largest free-living mammal. It cohabits with wild boar, which can be found in all wooded areas. But Germany's deep forests are also home to rarer creatures, such as the wildcat. The Eifel National Park in North Rhine-Westphalia is home to around a thousand individuals, making it one of the largest populations in Central Europe. Thanks to these mountains, Germany is also home to populations of chamois, ibex and marmots.
The rivers are also home to many fascinating species, such as the European sturgeon. Exploited for its precious eggs, consumed as caviar, the fish came close to extinction in the last century. Germany is actively working to reintroduce it to the North Sea. The North Sea is home to a total of 170 species of fish, while the Baltic Sea is home to around 100. These include Atlantic cod, herring, hake, plaice, mackerel and skate, as well as marine mammals, notably seals.
Finally, let's not forget our cities, which are also home to species that cohabit with humans. Berlin, for example, is not just an urban jungle, but also a plant jungle, as 40% of its surface area is green. At the end of a Berlin night, you may be lucky enough to come across a wild fox in the early hours of the morning. Many specimens have adapted to city life, inspecting garbage cans and hunting rodents. A delicacy of choice for the fox: the weasel also hides in the city, frequenting gardens in particular. Another more surprising rodent lives in the capital: the raccoon. Although originally from North America, the raccoon has adapted well to life in Berlin since its introduction to Europe in 1930. Like the squirrel and the hare, it frequents the city's parks, particularly the Tiergarten.
Some emblematic German plants
The diversity of the German landscape, ranging from the flat plains of the north to the high peaks of the south, provides the country with a wide variety of vegetation. The most common trees are spruce, pine, larch, beech, oak and birch. But the species are actually much more diverse, with an estimated 90 billion trees rooted in the country, representing 76 different species. Most forests, however, are cultivated, often as monocultures, which explains why conifers, prized for their rapid growth, account for over half of all trees.
Yet it's not a tree, but a grass, that is Germany's national emblem: the cornflower. This species, with its pretty purplish flowers, thrives in the cereal fields that abound across the Rhine. This delicate little flower has long held a special place in German symbolism, since it was the favorite plant of the emperors, so much so that it was nicknamed the Prussian flower. In the early twentieth century, Cornflower Days were held across the country, taking advantage of its symbolic value to sell bouquets for the benefit of veterans and the needy.
Although the edelweiss is the national emblem of Switzerland, it also finds a home in the German Alps, where it plays an important role in culture. It has been protected throughout the country since 1874. Other less rare plants include yarrow, black elder and wild chamomile, a popular herbal tea, known in many countries as German chamomile.
The country also boasts many endemic plants, i.e. those that only grow within its borders, such as Hieracium harzianum, which grows in the center of the country, Wismar hill potentilla(Potentilla wismariensis), found in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, or Ranunculus reichertii, with its pretty yellow flowers.
