17. January 2022

Why is biodiversity important?

If you are interested in environmental action and climate protection, you have probably come across the term 'biodiversity' before. Biodiversity means, on the one hand, species diversity, i.e. the diversity of plant and animal species. But also that there is genetic diversity within a species. A third aspect is biologically diverse habitats, i.e. different ecosystems, such as forests, bogs, lakes, deserts, grasslands, coasts...

Things that we take for granted in life only exist through biological diversity.

It is obvious that we humans need nature to survive: without plants, which store the energy of sunlight, neither animals nor humans would have food. Without the wide variety of medicinal plants, many modern medicines and medicines would not exist. Bacteria and many other creatures in the soil provide plants with nutrients so that they can grow at all.

But do the species and ecosystems in which they live necessarily be diverse? Couldn't we live well with a few million fewer species and less diverse habitats? With our current state of knowledge, this seems difficult to imagine. The nutrient cycles and food chains in the respective ecosystems remain in balance through the interaction of species that has evolved over billions of years.

The less biodiversity there is, the more vulnerable ecosystems are to disturbances or changes.

Global warming is currently a major change. And it is precisely here that balanced ecosystems help us to slow down warming: forests, moors and oceans absorb and store CO2 from the atmosphere. Last but not least, many sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, forestry or fishing, as well as tourism, depend directly on functioning ecosystems.

How directly we depend in our everyday lives on species to which we often pay little attention becomes clear when we ask ourselves where our fruit and vegetables come from: "Of the 107 most commonly grown crops in the world, 91 are pollinated to varying degrees" explains the NABU. Without insects like bees or butterflies to pollinate flowers, we wouldn't have strawberries or apples, tomatoes or coffee.

More and more plant and animal species are disappearing worldwide.

According to a UN report, around one million of the estimated eight million animal and plant species currently known worldwide were threatened with extinction in 2019. Although new species are still being discovered every year, far more are disappearing at the same time.

The reasons for this are, in particular, industrial agriculture with intensive monocultures, the clearing of forests and draining of moors for land use or construction, the excessive use of resources (e.g. through hunting and overfishing), displacement by invasive species, environmental pollution and climate change. We humans are destroying habitats and resources every day around the world. In this way, we are contributing to a loss of biodiversity that has accelerated over the past few decades.

What you can do to protect biodiversity

You can do a lot for biodiversity and against species extinction in your everyday life with small steps:

  •     Consciously consume only what you need: ask yourself where the things you buy come from. When shopping, avoid unnecessary packaging that would end up in the garbage. Try upcycling clothes, furniture, bottles or packaging. Only buy enough food so that you don't have to throw away half of it uneaten.

  •     Give animals and plants on your doorstep more living space: Build nesting aids for wild bees and other wild animals in your garden. Leave piles of leaves, tree stumps and branches for hedgehogs and insects. Sows native wildflowers. Never trims hedges in spring so birds can build their nests there. Ensures that city trees get enough water.

  •     Protects the climate through fewer emissions: Avoid air travel when you are out and about. Ask yourself where your electricity comes from. And think about your food: the more ecologically grown and the more regionally bought, the better your food is for the environment and biodiversity. Even those who consume less meat and fish have a positive impact on the environment and climate.

Ultimately, however, we as individuals can only change a tiny part of the world at a time. So talk to your friends and acquaintances about why biodiversity is important to you. And participate in political decisions - be it through petitions, activism or your cross in an election - and demand the necessary framework conditions.

Species protection in forests and bogs

In many of our volunteering projects, we are directly involved in protecting biodiversity. The volunteers of our February workcamp at Kniebis, for example, support the forestry department of the Middle Black Forest in improving the habitat of the capercaillie. The capercaillie in Germany has a special meaning as a so-called 'umbrella species': by protecting the capercaillie - like an umbrella - other species are also protected. By improving the habitat of the capercaillie, many other animals and plants can also survive better.

In other workcamps we work on the renaturation of the raised bogs in the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park or take action against invasive plant species in the Black Forest. Many of our partner organizations abroad also work with international volunteers in renaturation measures, reforestation projects or the protection of certain animal species.

Volunteer with IBG for biodiversity and climate protection in forests and bogs

Under the motto "Let's take action for climate protection', in 2022 we will be dealing with the topic of climate protection in forests and bogs in our camps, in our team and with our voluntary group leaders and teamers. Will you join us?