Use of agro-genetic engineering in agriculture and forestry poses a threat to nature and nature conservation. This is why European and German law makes approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) subject to risk assessment to identify the impacts on nature and the environment. The Federal Nature Conservation Agency (BfN) assists in GMO approval by providing expertise in matters concerning nature conservation and environment protection. This section of the BfN website gives an insight into the conflict between agro-genetic engineering and nature conservation.

 Agro-genetic Engineering

Open-cast mining in the lignite districts of central and eastern Germany has affected huge areas of land. With mining activities long abandoned, many of the region’s post-mining landscapes are of great importance to nature conservation and harbour unique development potential.

 Post-mining Landscapes

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, means the diversity of life on Earth – the variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes of which they are part.

 Biodiversity

The climate change projected for the next few decades includes rising temperatures (‘global warming’), rising sea levels, geographical shifts in precipitation and increased incidence of extreme weather events, with huge local variation in amplitude. All of these phenomena can affect biodiversity. In many cases, climate change adds to existing threats. Alongside habitat loss and degradation, climate change is therefore one of the greatest threats to the diversity of life on Earth.

 Climate Change and Biodiversity

Pollinators safeguard the biodiversity of flowering plants. There are at least 300,000 flower-visiting animal species. By ensuring that fruits set and fruits and seeds ripen, pollinators are essential to the survival of all plant species they serve.

Over 80 percent of wild plants require pollination and about 35 percent of global food production depends on the services of pollinating insects.

An alarming decline in pollinator diversity has been registered in all continents, at least for some groups of pollinator species. Climate change and changing land use have an additional destabilising effect on pollinator communities.

 Pollinators and Biodiversity

As early as 1973, the international community adopted the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in response to the threat that use of natural resources poses to animal and plant species. As Germany’s competent authority in CITES enforcement, BfN is responsible for the approval of imports and exports of protected species.
 CITES

Designation of various kinds of protection areas is a key instrument in nature conservation and landscape management activities aimed at maintaining biodiversity. In specially designated areas, nature and landscape conservation is given priority over other types of use, the aim being to secure indigenous plants and animals and their habitats, and to comply with and implement national and international requirements designed to protect natural heritage.

 Protected Areas

Nature knows no political boundaries. What applies to the ranges of plants and animals applies equally to many environmental and conservation issues. The consequences of overexploiting nature are often felt far afield and in other countries (one example is climate change). On the other hand, it is precisely the highly industrialized nations which make extensive use of natural resources in other countries. This makes it essential to cooperate at international level to solve shared problems in the realm of nature conservation.

 International Nature Conservation

To reverse ongoing decline in the numbers of wild species and natural habitats in the EU and maintain biodiversity, the Birds Directive was adopted in 1979 and the Habitats Directive in 1992. Both directives see their core purpose in the designation of protection areas to create an EU-wide protection area network – the Natura 2000 network – for threatened species and habitats of Community interest.

  Natura 2000

Red lists are lists of animal and plant species, plant communities, habitats and habitat complexes that are either extinct, have disappeared or are endangered. These scientific reports document the threat status for a given area and assess the level of threat based on stock size and stock development.

 Red Lists