The global decline in biodiversity ranks among the great challenges of our time. Besides agricultural landscape habitats, the condition of water bodies is particularly problematic and does not comply with European directives. In order to stop the further disappearance of animal and plant species, ambitious targets were agreed upon at the Global Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 15) in Montreal. In Germany, for example, 30 per cent of the surface area is to be placed under effective protection. This has implications for current protected area concepts as well as for agricultural and forestry use. The focus group “Biodiversity – Land Use – Climate” provides science-based impulses in this thematic field.
ML = Member of the Leopoldina