Urban nature in Denmark is improving
16.12.2020
Results from Denmark’s largest citizen science project show that nature in and around Danish cities is improving. But do not cancel the biodiversity crisis just yet. In most nature areas and in agricultural areas, no improvement is visible, according to the study.
Results from Denmark’s largest citizen science project show that nature in and around Danish cities is improving. But do not cancel the biodiversity crisis just yet. In most nature areas and in agricultural areas, no improvement is visible, according to the study.
Chances of seeing a bat fly through the garden or a hare outside your holiday house is greater today than five years ago. Since 2015, 20,000 Danish volunteers have sent more than 500,000 observations of 30 selected animals, plants and mushrooms to scientists at the citizen science project Biodiversity Now. The results of the project clearly show that common species in Denmark are increasing in number nationally, and especially in and around cities.
“Firstly, the result is surprising and positive. Typically, we hear so many negative stories concerning biodiversity. But here we are able to show an improvement for our common species near cities. Our data has not been collected by experts, but the amount of data is so vast and the analyses so robust that no matter how we test our data and factor in insecurities, we arrive at the same positive result”, says Carsten Rahbek, Biodiversity Professor and Director at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate and responsible for the species data in Project Biodiversity Now.
Animals are adapting to cities
If you examine the study closer, it is, however, clear that nature is developing differently regionally and in nature areas where the rare species of animals and plants are usually found. Dragonflies, woodpeckers, Northern lapwings, squirrels, frogs, and the plant Bluebell along with the study’s other common species are especially increasing in numbers in and around cities compared to other types of landscapes. Urban areas such as gardens, parks, holiday home areas and urban forests. According to Carsten Rahbek, the increase can among other things be explained by the growing popular interest in managing green areas after the philosophy “Let it grow”.
The project also shows our actions in cities do in fact benefit biodiversity”, says Carsten Rahbek but also points to the fact that the development is caused by species’ abilities to adapt to and live where we humans have settled and changed the landscape: ”In some places, squirrels have retreated in forests but are increasing in gardens. The hare might be dissapearing from fields, but they are triving in holiday home areas”, he explains.
The biodiversity crisis remains
At the Danish Society for Nature Conservation (DN) who leads the citizen science project Biodiversity Now, the results are both cause for enthusiasm and concern: ”As much as we rejoice over progress in and around cities and forests, as horified we are to see stagnation in nature areas where our rare and endangered species primarily live. This is cause for great concern”, says DN President Maria Reumert Gjerding.
The scientists are unable to see progress for the valuable nature (high bioscore), and in agricultural areas the common species seem to be decreasing.
“It is danting to see that common species are not increasing where they should be thriving, in nature areas. Other studies point to the same problem, and we know that there is plenty of room for improvement. But our nature areas are now in such a dire state that not even our common species are increasing there”, says Carsten Rahbek.
About project Biodiversity Now
Project Biodiversity Now is a citizen science project studying the development of biodiversity in Denmark during the years 2015-2020. The purpose of the project is to create new knowledge concerning the development of the state of nature while involving the general public in the collection of data. Using the app Naturtjek, more than 20,000 Danes have registrered 500,000 observations of 30 selected animals, plants and mushrooms which subsequently have been analysed by scientists. The species have been selected as indicators for biodiversity. As far as we know, project Biodiversity Now is the first citizen sience project which has mapped out the development of a country’s biodiversity using data collected from such a vast amount of volunteers. The project is a collaboration between the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, Copenhagen University (CMEC) and Aarhus University (DCE) and has recieved funding from the Aage V. Jensen Nature Foundation.
The Nature Development index
The Nature Development Index is based on more than 500,000 observations of 30 carefully selected animals, plants and mushrooms, collected by more than 20,000 Danes with the app NaturTjek from May 2015 till October 2020. The index shows the development for common species in Denmark, and consists of 14 different indexes, which show the development of nature nationally, regionally, distributed on landscape types and nature value (bioscore). See all 14 indexes and our interactive index for easy comparison, by clicking the link English.
Press contact
Simon Leed Krøs
Project manager, Biodiversity Now (Biodiversitet Nu)
The Danish Society for Nature Conservation (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening)
+45 30516140
slk@dn.dk