Hanover. The agricultural landscape is experiencing a dramatic decline in animal and plant species. The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) sees great potential for an urgent turnaround in digitization. It is true that agriculture has long since arrived in the digital world with a view to greater efficiency. However, in the DBU’s opinion, intelligent tools such as satellite-supported monitoring must also quickly find their way into nature conservation practice. In addition, success concepts should be publicized in the region. DBU experts will provide insights into best-practice projects today (Thursday) at the German Nature Conservation Day (DNT) in Hannover.
Future tasks in nature conservation hardly manageable without digital methods
Digitization has secured a firm place in agriculture over the past three decades. According to a recent study by the industry association Bitkom, 79 percent of the farmers surveyed use at least one digital process. 64 percent see time savings as the biggest advantage. But “for all the progress made for efficiency and economic benefits, it is now a matter of using digitization for greater sustainability as well,” says Dr. Maximilian Hempel, DBU department head for environmental research and nature conservation, at the DNT.
Taking advantage of digitization for nature conservation management
When it comes to saving fertilizer, pesticides, energy and feed, the advantages are obvious, according to Hempel. “Smart tools can also have a high benefit for protecting biodiversity in farmland,” Hempel said. Examples are provided by numerous DBU-funded projects. For example, one company from the start-up grant developed a method for sensor- and satellite-based ground condition analysis with real-time transmission. Hempel says, “Determining soil moisture and nutrient content not only helps in agriculture, but also in conservation management.” Likewise, he said, it is possible to capture animal populations with drones and thermal imaging cameras, or to record and monitor conservation efforts via smartphone applications. “Digitization must take hold immediately, otherwise the future tasks in nature conservation monitoring will hardly be manageable,” Hempel said.
Bringing successful concepts to the surface
In order for digital technologies to develop their potential, the new methods must not only be rapidly put into practice and adopted, but also rolled out across the board. This is the subject of a forum that the DBU is holding at the German Nature Conservation Day together with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. “It is known which measures have a positive effect on the population of native animal and plant species in the agricultural landscape,” says Dr. Reinhard Stock, technical officer at the DBU’s Nature Conservation Unit. “However, it has not yet been successfully implemented on a large scale.” The DBU is therefore focusing on regional cooperation. According to Stocks, stakeholders from agriculture and nature conservation must implement tried-and-tested solutions for more nature conservation in the agricultural landscape on an equal footing. Among other things, it’s about bringing different stakeholders to the table, acquiring funding and organizing work processes, Stock said.
Larger habitat through biotope network
Examples of successful concepts are provided by DBU-funded projects, Stock said. In a showcase project, for example, individual meadows and pastures were specifically managed to create habitat for more animal and plant species. Connecting landscape elements such as dikes, dams and roadsides have linked such species-rich islands into a biotope network. Result: a larger habitat where plant and animal species can spread much more.