"Everyone can do something for biodiversity"
Voices on biodiversity
Theres Rutz is a geoscientist and agronomist and has been working at FiBL Switzerland in the Advisory & Training Group for three years. (Photo: FiBL, Andreas Basler)
Sand bees, such as the tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva) pictured here, nest in the ground in sunny, open areas. They fly to flowers of various plants as food sources. However, they prefer flowers of berry bushes. (Photo: Albert Krebs)
When creating nesting opportunities for wild bees, the use of unwashed sand - which contains an important proportion of clay - is very important. (Photo: FiBL, Theres Rutz)
Theres Rutz is a geoscientist and agronomist and has been working at FiBL Switzerland in the Advisory & Training Group for three years. As part of various projects, she provides advice to farms as a whole and is committed to the targeted implementation of measures to promote biodiversity in cultivated landscapes. She is currently involved in the new edition of the practical handbook "Biodiversity on the farm".
Switzerland is a wonderfully diverse country. The great diversity of habitats and landscapes forms the basis for a versatile Swiss agricultural system rich in flora and fauna - and is also an important factor for the quality of life of the population. However, the diverse interests in the utilisation and design of our landscape also mean that it is under increasing pressure. As a result of settlement growth, the expansion of transport routes and intensive agriculture, the remaining near-natural areas are becoming ever smaller. They often remain as isolated islands, which jeopardises the medium-term survival of species. For many wild bee species, for example, which seek their food and nesting resources in different habitats close to each other, fragmentation and declining habitat quality are insurmountable hurdles. This development is reflected in the Red List of wild bees, which includes around 45 per cent of the 600 or so wild bee species. Red Lists are regarded as a barometer of biodiversity. It is not only an issue for wild bees – the lists show that the risk of extinction is high for many species and that there is, therefore, a great need for action.
Funding opportunities in the cultural landscape
This acute endangerment situation for many species has an impact on the ecosystem services provided and thus has a major impact on Swiss agriculture. Many farmers are therefore getting involved, either independently by maintaining, enhancing or creating new biodiversity promotion areas or as part of various subsidised projects. One example of this is the flowering areas initiative of the Swiss Beekeepers' Association. Here, farmers are financially supported in the creation of flowering areas and biodiversity-promoting structures such as hedges or nesting opportunities for wild bees. The "NaturVerbindet" and "Strukturreiche Land(wirt)schaft für Wiesel und Co." projects of the environmental protection organisation WWF are also exemplary, in which the public is actively involved and sensitised and at the same time, farms are supported in the time-consuming maintenance and redesign of measures that promote biodiversity. Although agriculture plays a key role in preserving and promoting biodiversity, the issue affects society as a whole. Consumers and politicians also urgently need to assume greater responsibility.
Become active yourself
A very important note: everyone can do something! Be it with native plant species on the balcony, with ivy left to grow on a dead tree or with an unmown field edge, everyone can make a difference. A variety of wild bees and other insects can be supported with flowering native plants as an additional food resource in summer or with nesting structures such as cut bramble stems or open, dry and well-sunlit patches of ground. If the aim is also to promote specialised species - which are usually also endangered - it is worth taking a close look at the site situation and, in particular, the requirements. Unfortunately, it is no use if only some of the required resources are available or if they are too far apart. For example, a wild bee nesting aid may be a nice way of observing bees, but it is of little benefit to the rare species. This is because the majority of them nest in burrows they have dug themselves. Consideration of the ecological context is therefore important for effective measures. This is usually not trivial, especially in the case of endangered species with high requirements. The agrinatur.ch platform, for which FiBL is jointly responsible, contains many documents and tips for biodiversity-promoting measures in agricultural areas, and natur-im-siedlungsraum.ch for measures in urban areas. We are also happy to support and advise farm managers if they have ideas or are motivated to do something for species conservation. Even small actions can make a big difference and it has never been more important to preserve what is still there - because an extinct species cannot be brought back.
Further information
Contact
Links and Download
- bafu.admin.ch: Brochure "Red List of Wild Bees" (in German)
- fibl.org: Fact sheet "Promoting wild bees - securing yields and plant diversity" (in German)
- wildbee.ch: Brochure "Earth-nesting wild bees" with information on creating nesting (in German)
- floris-bienen.ch: Flowering areas initiative by Bees Switzerland (in German)
- wwfost.ch: Project NaturVerbindet (in German)
- wwfost.ch: Structurally rich land(management) for weasels and co. project (in German)
- agrinatur.ch: Information on promoting biodiversity on the farm (in German)
- natur-im-siedlungsraum.ch: Association Nature in Settlement Areas (NIMS) for the promotion of species in settlement areas (in German)