Insect-friendly management of green spaces

More than half of all known species of living creatures in the world are insects - well over 1.2 million species according to current knowledge. There are also around 33,000 different insect species in Germany. However, their numbers have been decreasing for some time now. This has been particularly evident in recent hot and dry summers. The extinction of insects can no longer be ignored.

The importance of insects for humans

Very few people realize how important insects are for us. Yet the functioning of almost all ecosystems depends on them. They are indispensable for humans and nature:

Insects provide food for many other animals, e.g. birds and bats, are the most important pollinators of our crops and fulfill a variety of functions in ecosystems that even science has yet to unravel. What is certain, however, is that they are also essential to our existence.

Promoting insect diversity

Well-greened cities, in which colorful and sometimes somewhat "messy" looking meadows and copses are allowed, already act as oases of insect diversity in many places in the midst of an otherwise increasingly "cleared" cultural landscape. In Jena, nocturnal butterflies were recorded in 2018 and 2019 using a live light trap on the edge of the Winzerla residential area. At the end of the two-year survey, the list comprised over 200 (!) species, including extremely rare specimens and animals that were previously only known from nature reserves in the surrounding area.

Guide

With the guide now available, the city of Jena has addressed the problem of insect mortality and species decline in general. The central part of the guide is a catalog of 11 measures that are suitable for preserving and increasing the diversity of plants and insects in the city. In addition, the introductory section provides the reader with interesting facts about insects and why they are so important in ecosystems.

The guideline is intended to provide municipal companies with a clear orientation for the care and management of urban meadows, hedges and bushes. It is now available to housing associations, interested companies and private individuals as a recommendation for action.