Countdown 2010 Saving Biodiversity Biodiversity Report 2008 District Marzahn-Hellersdorf in Berlin Biodiversity Report 2008: District Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin Prepared by: Department of Nature and Environment Marzahn-Hellersdorf Lower Administration of Nature Conservation Premnitzer Straße 4 12681 Berlin Germany Tel.: (030) 90293-6700 Fax: (030) 90293-6705 Internet: www.berlin.de/ba-marzahn-hellersdorf/verwaltung/natur/umweltamt.html Author: Ute Stenkewitz, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Supported by: Department Lower Administration of Nature Conservation Landscape planning Klaus Brockmann, Sven Behrend, Sylvia Sievert Nature conservation Liane Nabrowsky, Ilka Maria Menzel, Frank Sporzecki Department Green Spaces Sabine Phenn Front page pictures: Sven Behrend and Sylvia Sievert: Sequence left side, picture 2 Susanna Wilhelm: Sequence left side, pictures 1, 3, 5 Department of Nature and Environment: Sequence left side, picture 4 Angele and Bernhard Schonert: large picture (male sand lizard) Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 2 Content Page 1 INTRODUCTION 4 2 THE DISTRICT MARZAHN-HELLERSDORF IN BERLIN 5 2.1 Geography 5 2.2 Climate 5 2.3 Macrochore 5 2.4 Land use 7 3 BIODIVERSITY IN MARZAHN-HELLERSDORF 9 3.1 Protected Areas and Objects 9 3.1.1 Protected Areas, Green Spaces and Natural Monuments 9 3.1.2 Habitat Network 9 3.2 Flora 10 3.3 Fauna 10 3.4 Countdown 2010 Target Species 12 4 COUNTDOWN 2010: GOALS AND ACTORS 13 4.1 Announcement of Countdown 2010 13 4.2 Involved Partners 13 4.3 Supporting Measures for Target Species 14 4.3.1 Protection of Amphibians 14 4.3.2 Protection of Bats 15 4.3.3 Contract Nature Conservation Scheme 16 4.3.4 Support Programmes 16 4.3.5 Urban Agriculture 16 4.4 Sustainable Management of District Areas 18 4.5 Public Relations 19 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 21 6 REFERENCES 22 Info Box The current species extinction rate since human dispersion is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times greater than the original natural one. To date c. 15,500 species are endangered and human activity has lead to the extinc- tion of c. 840 species in the past 500 years. Example of animals: Today every fourth mammal, every eighth bird, every third amphibian and almost half of all tortoises and turtles are endangered. From 129 of all known extinct bird species, at least 100 died after 1800. And since 1996 the total number of endangered animal species increased from c. 5,000 to 7,260. Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 3 1 Introduction Biological diversity is the diversity of all 1. Countdown 2010 will be introduced to life and natural processes on earth, the district board. including both the diversity within as well as between species and the diversity of 2. Nature conservation aassociations ecosystems. The conservation of biodi- and the Local Agenda 21 group will versity, sustainable use of its compo- be involved in the projects. nents as well as fair compensation of its 3. Supporting measures for the target utilisation is the goal of many countries species and habitat network will be on earth. In 1992, these goals were first conducted (target species: Fire- defined on the UN Convention on Biologi- bellied toad and Noctule bat). cal Diversity (CBD) in Rio de Janeiro and approved by 190 countries. Since that 4. The 2010 biodiversity goal will be time, various meetings took place and integrated in the sustainable man- further countries affiliated to the biodi- agement of the district areas. versity goals and agreements. One of those agreements is Countdown 2010, in 5. The Countdown 2010 declaration and which countries all over the world made biodiversity goal will be accompanied it their business to find ways of saving by intensive public relations (PR). biodiversity until 2010. This is a great responsibility and challenge for all coun- In the following report, an update of the tries and many stakeholders are needed district’s progress in achieving the men- to reach that goal or get closer to it. tioned goals since its participation in May Countdown 2010 is a powerful network 2008 will be presented. of active partners working together towards the 2010 biodiversity target. Each partner commits additional efforts to tackle the causes of biodiversity loss. The secretariat – hosted by the IUCN – facilitates and encourages action, pro- motes the importance of the 2010 biodi- versity target and assesses progress towards 2010. Saving biodiversity begins on the smallest level; first at an individ- ual’s own behaviour, then on a local scale. Marzahn-Hellersdorf and other districts in Berlin signed the Countdown 2010 declaration. The district decided to work on the 2010 biodiversity goal in collaboration with honorary nature con- servationists, clubs and so-called em- ployment projects. The 2010 biodiversity goals of the district are: Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 4 2 The District Marzahn-Hellersdorf in Berlin 2.1 Geography The district Marzahn-Hellersdorf is situ- ated in the Eastern part of Berlin. Its neighbouring districts in the South and Berlin West are Lichtenberg and Treptow- Köpenick. In the North and East it ad- joins to the federal state Brandenburg (counties Barnim and Märkisch- Oderland). It covers an area of 61.8 km² equalling about one eighth of Berlin. The maximum East West extension is c. 9 km and North South extension 12 km. There are five subdivions in Marzahn- Hellersdorf: Marzahn, Hellersdorf, Bies- dorf, Kaulsdorf und Mahlsdorf. The dis- trict has c. 250,000 inhabitants with a Berlin district Marzahn-Hellersdorf and its subdivi- population density of 4,000 people per sions km². 2.2 Climate In general, the climate of urban centres climatic changes compared to those from in comparison to the surrounding areas uninfluenced open land. The mean air is affected by changes in heat balance temperature in Marzahn-Hellersdorf due to strong housing, sealing, lack of between 1961 and 1990 was between vegetation covered areas, etc. Marzahn- 7.6 and 10.1°C. Especially in zone 3, Hellersdorf is located in the city climate there were amongst others less frost zones 1 to 3. That means, there are days and increased mean temperatures moderate (close to city centre, zone 3) compared to the surrounding areas of to very low (close to periphery, zone 1) Berlin. 2.3 Macrochore The northern part of Marzahn-Hellersdorf Barnim plateau and glacial valley of c. 20 is part of a wavy plane on a ground m. Between these two zones, along the moraine being remnants of the last overlap slope (Barnim slope) is the so glacial drift called the Barnim plateau. called “Berlin Balcony”, a well-known The southern part is situated in the attraction for inhabitants as well as depression of the Berlin glacial valley. tourists. There is an altitude difference between Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 5 The Green City Map of the district Marzahn-Hellersdorf in Berlin. Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 6 2.4 Land use Today, the Barnim plateau consists of The landscape of the Barnim plateau is the densely populated large suburban formed by the Wuhle River – the so housing estate in the North of Marzahn- called green middle of the district – Hellersdorf - the largest of its kind in various puddles and remnants of sewage Germany. Two thirds of the district’s fields, while it is the Kaulsdorfer lakes inhabitants live there. This high density and the Barnim slope in the glacial val- housing area encompassing more than ley. The Barnim slope and Wuhle valley 100,000 flats and was built between are significant areas for both local rec- 1977 and 1990 to solve the housing reation as well as the formation of cool- problem in the former German Democ- ing air zones, which are important for the ratic Republic (GDR). It covers about one inner city climate, habitat and species third of the district. Beside flats, also conservation. social facilities such as schools or kinder- The largest part beside living and traffic gartens were created there. Opposite, areas and industrial real estates are the southern part of Marzahn-Hellersdorf recreational areas such as gardens, consists of small house estates, which green spaces and parks. In total, 15 % cover about two-thirds of the district. of the district comprises green and open spaces putting Marzahn-Hellersdorf on the third place of all Berlin districts. Various sights offer attractive and all- round activities for inhabitants as well as visitors. Just to mention a few: 3 the recreational park Gardens of the world 3 the windmill Marzahn 3 the castle Biesdorf 3 the manor Mahlsdorf with museum from the period of promoterism 3 the ORWO house 3 the animal farmyard Alt-Marzahn 3 the tower museum in the Kaulsdorf church 3 the hiking trails through the district (e. g. Wuhle-Hönow-Trail, Wuhletal- Hiking Trail, Barnim Slope or New Ur- Map section from the area of former sewage banity) fields in Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin. Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 7 Details from the large suburban housing estate in the North. The small housing estates in the South of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin. (Pictures by Behrend und Sievert) Biodiversity Report l Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin l 2008 8 3 Biodiversity in Marzahn-Hellersdorf 3.1 Protected Areas and Objects 3.1.1 Protected Areas, Green Spaces and Natural Monuments The most important areas for flora and nature reserve, two landscape conserva- fauna in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf are tion areas, three protected landscape urban waste land and horticulturally components and many protected bio- formed biotopes that open the housing topes, green spaces and natural monu- structures and offer space for recreation ments. and nature protection.