NaturBerlin

The NaturBerlin research cluster develops products that document and analyze changes in biodiversity in urban and peri-urban areas and forecast their impacts. We investigate how biodiversity is changing, how biodiversity can be enhanced, and what societal and economic consequences these changes entail.

Biodiversity change is multifaceted, and we examine its different dimensions along the framework of Essential Biodiversity Variables. We are interested in changes across the full spectrum of biodiversity dimensions, from genetic diversity to changes in ecosystem functions and the associated ecosystem services.

Using Berlin as a case study, drawing on the collection Berlin objects at the Museum für Naturkunde, and working closely with citizens and the broader Berlin biodiversity community, we have been able to mobilize and analyze time series that document changes in biodiversity. We now have a comprehensive overview of who has been collecting which biodiversity data in Berlin, since when, and in what formats and structures these data are available. This overview has been made publicly accessible through a scientific publication. The insights gained subsequently informed two further publications, allowing us to identify which species are considered lost in Berlin and to assess the available data basis for making robust statements about changes in biodiversity, for example through the use of biodiversity indices. As part of our work and in the context of the global biodiversity targets, Berlin became the first city to be assessed using the multidimensional IUCN Urban Nature Index.

Project Vielfalt verstehen

Closely connected to NaturBerlin, the interdisciplinary pilot project Vielfalt verstehen was established in 2024 with funding from the Berlin Senate Department. Its aim was to make scientific knowledge about species diversity accessible to citizens in an approachable way, thereby improving access to and strengthening identification with urban nature. In this context, we are developing so-called biodiversity key areas that identify areas in Berlin with above-average ecological value.

Objective

Our aim is to build on our findings to develop further products, provide a platform for networking among stakeholders at all levels, and address the challenges and opportunities of urban nature conservation in all their complexity. In the long term, we seek to make a sustained contribution as an Urban Biodiversity Competence Center.