Determinants of Terrestrial and Limnic Species Richness in Germany

Verfasst von

Julia S. Ellerbrok, Maria Sporbert, Vera Schreiner, Christian Ristok, Nina Farwig, Georg J.A. Hähn, Reinhard Klenke, Gunnar Seidler, Jori Maylin Marx, Anja Schmidt, Josef Settele, Christian Wirth, Christian Albert, Claus Bässler, Veronika Braunisch, Heiko Brunken, Klaus Jürgen Conze, David Eichenberg, Nico Eisenhauer, Götz Ellwanger, Joshua Ferenczy, Bettina Gerlach, Dagmar Haase, Alexander Harpke, Fabian Herder, Florian Jansen, Johannes Kamp, Jakob Katzenberger, Peter Keil, Elisabeth Kühn, André Mascarenhas, Jörg Müller, Martin Musche, Hong Hanh Nguyen, Peter Pogoda, Axel Ssymank, Frank Suhling, Heide Rose Vatterrott, Thilo Wellmann, Helge Bruelheide

Abstract

Aim: Biodiversity is increasingly threatened by human impacts. While abiotic conditions are well known to shape species richness, the role of human activities remains less clear. We examined how abiotic and human factors influence terrestrial and limnic species richness in a densely populated region with a long land-use history. Location: Germany. Time Period: 1900–2023 (varies by taxonomic group). Major Taxa Studied: Mammals, breeding birds, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies, fungi, vascular plants. Methods: Species richness data were aggregated in 11 × 11 km grid cells and related to abiotic (climate, soil) and human drivers (land use, protection status). We applied a two-step approach: (1) Boosted Regression Trees (BRTs) to select relevant predictor variables and (2) Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) to test their effects, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Results: Land-use and climate were similarly important for species richness (26% vs. 21% in BRTs), while protection status and soil contributed less (8% and 9%). GAMs showed positive effects of temperature across many groups. Among land-use factors, human footprint, urban open spaces and water bodies consistently enhanced richness. Protected areas were positively related to richness, whereas soil variables had mixed effects. Main Conclusions: In Germany, species richness peaks not only in semi-natural, protected areas but also along water bodies and within settlement open spaces. These results suggest that conservation strategies should integrate both traditional protected areas and human-modified habitats that sustain high biodiversity.

Details

Organisationseinheit(en): Institut für Umweltplanung
Externe Organisation(en): Philipps-Universität Marburg
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Universität Leipzig
Università di Bologna
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ)
Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie
Universität Bayreuth
Nationalparkverwaltung Bayerischer Wald
University of Bern
Forstliche Versuchs-und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (FVA)
Hochschule Bremen
Gesellschaft für Ichthyologie e.V. (GfI)
Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e. V. (GdO)
Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BFN)
Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten e.V. (DDA)
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin)
Universität Rostock
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Biologische Station Westliches Ruhrgebiet e.V. (BSWR)
Universität Stuttgart
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE)
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde (DGHT)
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Typ: Artikel
Journal: Diversity and Distributions
Band: 32
ISSN: 1366-9516
Publikationsdatum: 25.03.2026
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Ökologie, Evolution, Verhaltenswissenschaften und Systematik
Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung: SDG 13 - Klimaschutzmaßnahmen, SDG 15 - Lebensraum Land
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70170 (Zugang: Offen )