📋 Tender Overview
Climate change and shifts in land use are affecting habitats and, consequently, plant diversity. To better understand the consequences of these developments, long-term and comprehensive data are essential. The Floristic Mapping of Baden-Wurttemberg, coordinated by the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, provides a unique foundation for this. The data collected over five decades as part of this citizen science project document significant changes in the flora of southwestern Germany drawing on more than 2.5 million plant observations. A research team from the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History and the University of Hohenheim has now jointly analyzed these data. Oct 27, 2026, 2:00:00 PM Meike Rech , Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Stuttgart Mike Thiv Joint study by the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History and the University of Hohenheim: 50 years of Floristic Mapping in Baden-Wurttemberg reveal significant changes in the flora of Southwest GermanyClimate change and shifts in land use are affecting habitats and, consequently, plant diversity. To better understand the consequences of these developments, long-term and comprehensive data are essential. The Floristic Mapping of Baden-Wurttemberg, coordinated by the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, provides a unique foundation for this. The data collected over five decades as part of this citizen science project document significant changes in the flora of southwestern Germany drawing on more than 2.5 million plant observations. They also provide valuable insights into changes in plant diversity in Germany and Central Europe. A research team from the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History and the University of Hohenheim has now jointly analyzed these data.The results of the joint analysis show that while some areas in southwestern Germany have gained plant species, particularly diverse areas - hotspots of diversity - tend to lose diversity. The analysis underscores how crucial the local context is for biodiversity and effective nature conservation. It is not enough to simply preserve as many species as possible. Conservation measures should be tailored to the specific area and also take into account the ecological characteristics and evolutionary distinctiveness of the plant species found there.The study was published in the journal Global Change Biology.More species do not automatically mean greater biodiversity:The plant data revealed a clear pattern: areas that were particularly diverse at the start of the investigations tended to lose diversity over time. Regions such as the Swabian Alb and the Black Forest have been particularly affected, with characteristic species and ecological features in decline. The question of whether biodiversity is increasing or decreasing overall does not go far enough. Patterns of change vary depending on the area and the aspect of biodiversity under consideration. An increase in species numbers is not automatically positive. If widespread species expand whilst specialised species disappear, landscapes may lose some of their distinctive ecological character. Biodiversity conservation must therefore take regional characteristics into account, says Dr Viktoria Ferenc, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History and the University of Hohenheim.One of Europes longest-running floristic mapping projects:The research team analysed more than 2.5 million plant observations from Baden-Wurttemberg. These were collected by citizen scientists and professional botanists between 1970 and 2023 for the states floristic mapping project, one of the oldest projects of its kind in Europe. The dataset, which has been maintained for over 50 years, comprises just under 2,000 vascular plant species.Ecological diversity may be at risk despite a stable number of species:In addition to the number of species, the studys authors analysed the plants evolutionary relationships as well as the diversity of their traits, such as height, leaf characteristics and seed size. The various dimensions of biodiversity did not always develop in the same direction. For example, some areas lost distinctive ecological strategies or evolutionary diversity despite a stable number of species. It is therefore crucial to consider not only the number of species, but also which plants are increasing or decreasing over time and what characteristics they possess. Nitrogen-tolerant and disturbance-adapted species often spread, as do highly competitive or non-native plants. In contrast, habitat specialists - species adapted to wetlands or cool conditions, orchids and species of particular conservation importance - frequently decline. It is therefore crucial to specify exactly what is to be protected, says Dr Pierre Liancourt, a researcher at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History and the studys senior author.Local environmental conditions shape development:The extent to which biodiversity changed depended, amongst other things, on the local climate, land use, atmospheric ammonia pollution, soil conditions and topography. Using the latest statistical methods, we were able to identify patterns in this extensive data that provide important insights into how environmental factors are associated with changes in local plant diversity. However, there was no single factor that could explain all the patterns. Rather, different aspects of biodiversity responded differently depending on local environmental conditions, says co-author Dr Jorn Pagel from the Department of Landscape Ecology and Vegetation Science at the University of Hohenheim.The importance of monitoring projects for research and nature conservation:The study highlights the exceptional value of long-term, coordinated citizen science and monitoring projects. The data from the Baden-Wurttemberg Floristic Mapping project reveal how our regions flora is changing and form an important basis for biodiversity research, species conservati
