action programme for insect conservation · 2020-07-23 · insect conservation in homes and...

Action Programme for Insect ConservationEffective joint action against insect decline

Publication details

Published byFederal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)Division for Public Relations, Online Communication and Social Media · 11055 Berlin · GermanyEmail: [email protected] · Website: www.bmu.de/english

Edited byBMU, Division N I 1, Dr. Kilian Delbrück, Mira Nürnberg

Designdesign_idee, büro_für_gestaltung, Erfurt

Picture creditsSee page 67.

DateSeptember 2019

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A c t i o n P r o g r a m m e f o r I n s e c t C o n s e r v a t i o n

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Action Programme for Insect ConservationEffective joint action against insect decline

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: Table of contents

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Summary 6

A Conserving insects – for intact nature and for us humans 8 1 Fascinating diversity 9

2 Why do we need insects? 10

3 Aims of the action programme 14

4 Players – effective together 16

5 The action programme in relation to other strategies and programmes 18

B Areas of action and measures for insect conservation 20 1 Supporting insect habitats and structural diversity in agricultural landscapes 21

2 Restoring and connecting insect habitats in other landscape areas 26

3 Enhancing protected areas as insect habitats 32

4 Reducing the use of pesticides 35

5 Reducing inputs of nutrients and pollutants in soil and water 39

6 Mitigating light pollution 43

7 Intensifying research – strengthening knowledge – closing gaps 46

8 Improving funding – creating incentives 49

9 Promoting civic commitment 52

C Programme implementation and reporting 58

D Annex 60 1 Overview of measures 61

2 List of abbreviations 66

Picture credits 67

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: SummaryInsects are an integral component of biodiversity and play an important role in our ecosystems. However, both abundance and species diversity of insects have declined considerably in Germany in recent decades. The wider public has been paying very close attention to insect decline and it is a frequently discussed topic. The public has high expectations that pol-icymakers counteract this development comprehensively and swiftly.

With the present Action Programme for Insect Conservation (Aktionsprogramm Insektenschutz) the Federal Government aims to comprehen-sively combat insect decline. The programme’s objective is to reverse the trend of declining insect abundance and species diversity.

In order to address the key drivers of insect decline and restore living conditions for insects in Germany, the action programme relies on the swift implementation of concrete measures within nine areas of action:

The action programme sets out the following key measures:

→ Binding statutory requirements under an Insect Conservation Act (InsektenschutzGesetz) and parallel statutory ordinances with regard to changes to nature conservation law, law on plant protection prod-ucts, legislation on fertiliser use, and water law

→ An additional 100 million Euro per year to promote insect conserva-tion and expand insect research, to be made available by the compe-tent departments


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→ Conservation and restoration of insect habitats in all areas of the landscape and in urban spaces with special consideration to be given to transition and boundary habitats (ecotones)

→ Clear guidance on environmentally and ecologically compatible ap-plications of pesticides and a significant reduction in the deposition of pesticides and other harmful substances in insect habitats

→ Mitigation of light pollution and insects’ attraction to light

→ Promotion and support of civic commitment in all areas of society for the benefit of insects

The action programme comprises federal measures. In order to halt insect decline, additional support at the level of the regional states (Länder) and the municipalities will be required as well as active support by society at large.

The Federal Government will report regularly on progress made on the achievement of set goals and on the implementation of measures under this action programme. Additionally, a high-level roundtable on insect conservation will be established for regular exchanges between civil so-ciety stakeholders on the action programme’s progress and the state of implementation of its measures.

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Eristalis arbustorum is one of more than 400 species of hoverfly in the Syrphidae family found in Germany


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: Conserving insects – for intact nature and for us humans

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1 Fascinating diversity

The insect world is characterised by a level of diversity that never ceases to amaze us humans. They shine in a range of iridescent colours and come in the most varied shapes and sizes – from astonishingly beauti-ful to bizarre, from microscopically small to sizes as large as the palm of one’s hand. Insects can be found in all habitats. There is no other group of animals that has developed species diversity as enormous as that of insects. Approximately one million insect species worldwide have been scientifically described. It is likely that the majority of insect species are as yet undiscovered.

There are more than 33,300 insect species in Germany, which means that almost three quarters of all animal species in Germany are insects, includ-ing bees, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, grasshoppers, ants and flies.

Not all that crawls is an insect. All insects have six legs and many of them can fly. Both these characteristics distinguish them from arachnids (spiders, scorpions and so on). Moreover, the bodies of insects are clearly divided into three segments: the head with its compound eyes and mouthparts, the thorax with its three pairs of legs and its wings, and the abdomen which contains the digestive and reproductive organs. Instead of a skeleton, insect bodies are protected and stabilised by a thin, but hard chitinous armour. Hair-like sensory organs that cover their bodies allow insects to sense vibrations, scents, humidity or temperature.

The habits of individual insect species and their requirements in terms of habitat, food or climate are as diverse as the insects themselves. Very specific habitat and environmental conditions must often be met simul-taneously for the insects to thrive. Insects go through a number of different developmental stages, each of which may have completely different re-quirements, both in terms of the structure, resources and connectivity of their habitats and of their food sources. There are generalists in the insect world that are flexible in terms of their food sources, and there are also specialists that, for example, depend on a specific plant or animal species, or a specific habitat. Some insects can cover greater distances while others have a smaller activity range. As a result of this diversity of habits and needs, the protection of this group of animals is particularly challenging.

Before butterflies can be admired in their true glory, they undergo a metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar, pupa and finally to butterfly

The weevil family comprises about 950 species in Germany

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2 Why do we need insects?

Both the abundance and species diversity of insects have declined consid-erably in Germany. This is evident from the nationwide Red Lists as well as from numerous scientific studies, also conducted in other EU countries.

We cannot do without insects. Insects are an integral component of biodiversity and play a vital role in our ecosystems. Many insect species provide elementary ecosystem services, for example as pollinators of plants, as food sources for other insects and other groups of animals, as decomposers of organic matter, as biological agents controlling harmful organisms, or by purifying water and maintaining soil fertility. Therefore, the decline of insects and their ecosystem services not only has an imme-diate impact on the environment but also on us humans.

Plant pollination by insects, for example, is essential for wild plant con-servation as well as for safeguarding the yields and yield quality of many crop plants. A decline in pollination services would therefore result not only in a significant loss of biodiversity but would also entail major eco-nomic risks. The more than 560 wild bee species occurring in Germany are highly important pollinators. As a result of species-specific special-isations and adaptations they are often more effective pollinators than honey bees.

No more buzz? – The world of bees

The “bee mortality” is often mentioned in connection with insect decline. Many people are not aware that apart from the well-known honeybee there are some 560 further bee species in Germany. These include the bumblebees. While the honeybee is the only bee that is bred, kept and cared for by humans in Europe as a domestic animal, there are also wild bee species, such as bumblebees, which are specif-ically bred by humans to provide pollination services in greenhouses and fruit plantations.

The wild bee species are strongly impacted by the destruction and impairment of their habitats and food sources. One glance at the Red List shows that in Germany 41 percent of the total of 561 bee species covered by the Red List are endangered. There is therefore an urgent need for targeted measures to protect wild bees, their basic food sources and diverse habitats. While the provision of an overall greater amount of flowers for foraging may be beneficial to the generalists among the bee species, it does not suffice, as many wild bee species are specialists and are dependent on very specific food plants as well as on a variety of plants and nesting places.

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) can only exist and survive in a colony

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Insects are also a basic food source of other insects and other groups of animals such as birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. As-sessments of changes in the populations of bird species in recent years have shown that population declines are particularly evident in those bird species that primarily feed on small insects and spiders during the breed-ing season.

While it is important to recognise that certain insect species may pose a risk to the health of humans, animals or plants – just as some other groups of animals do – and recognising that measures to control certain insect species may continue to be necessary in future, this does not relieve us of our responsibility to act against insect decline.

A greybacked mining bee (Andrena vaga) looking for a place to nest in sandy soil in Lüneburg Heath

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Facts about bees

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Almost a quarter of the wild bee species do not build their own nests but smuggle their eggs into the brood cells of other bee species.

Wild bees do not produce honey, yet are more efficient pollinators of some crop plant and wild plant species than honeybees.

The best-known wild bees are bumble-bees. The more than 560 wild bee species in Germany include some 40 bumblebee species.

Wild bees are not a danger to humans. They only sting if they are immediately threatened, and in many cases their stingers are too short to penetrate our skin.

Most of the honeybee species do not form colonies but live alone (solitary), for example in sandy soils, rotting wood, plant stems or even in empty snail shells.

Source: design.idee/Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety


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Insect conservation and protection from insects

Certain insect species can pose risks to the health of humans, animals or crop plants. These risks include certain diseases transmitted by insects as well as food losses in the field or in storage, as the following examples demonstrate.

Mosquitoes: Tormentors and disease vectors

People living in the catchments of lakelands and riverine land-scapes with extensive floodplains have been plagued by mos-quitoes for centuries. Not only are their stings very unpleasant for humans but through their saliva, mosquitoes can also trans mit various types of pathogens. In certain regions regular measures to control mosquitoes must be taken in order to avoid mosquito plagues. This is particularly true when it comes to preventing the further spread of mosquitoes introduced from other parts of the world, such as the Asian tiger mosquito which is feared as a vector of tropical pathogens, such as the viruses causing Zika, Chikungunya fever or dengue fever.

The European and six-toothed spruce bark beetles: Inconspicuous forest killers

The European spruce bark beetle and the six-toothed spruce bark beetle are two species of bark beetle that prefer the bark of weakened spruce trees for reproduction. In the forestry sec-tor they are feared pests, as a bark beetle outbreak can result in the beetles also attacking healthy trees and killing off entire forest stands.

It is therefore necessary to control certain insect species in the interest of protecting the health of humans, animals or crop plants and food harvests. Strategies for dealing with such undesirable insect species must be developed and im-plemented. This is particularly true for invasive non-native insect species.

The drivers of insect decline are diverse and complex. Current research indicates that the main reasons for insect decline are the loss and deterio-rating quality of insect habitats, the loss of structural diversity including a diversity of wild plants, management of nature conversation areas that does not always give sufficient consideration to the needs of insects, the use of pesticides (plant protection products and biocides), the input of


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Insect decline: Scientific findings

The term “insect decline” had the six-leggers gain prominence in public discourse and make headlines in the media primarily as a result of the publication of one particular scientific study. An evaluation of data collected as part of the “Krefeld study” was published in 2017, based on the analysis of insect surveys undertaken by the Krefeld en-tomological society (Entomologischer Verein Krefeld). Using precise methodology, flying insects had been trapped and their biomass measured over a period of 27 years in 63 protected areas in Germany in the federal states of North-Rhine/Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and Brandenburg. Based on these data, the scientists estimate a 76 percent decline in insect biomass on average in the areas studied (Hall-mann et al. 2017).

Numerous regional or species-specific scientific studies confirm the decline in insect species diversity, and the Red Lists are scientific evidence of the fact that insect decline is not a local or regional phenomenon but a nationwide and clearly verifiable development. From as early as the 1970s, the work on the Red Lists has documented the threat to insects, using specific insect orders as examples. The current Red Lists assess 25 insect groups including just under 8,000 species and sub-species, that is 24 percent of the insect species known to occur in Germany.

nutrients and harmful substances into soils and water bodies, and light pollution. In addition, many other influencing factors contribute to the loss or qualitative deterioration of insect habitats. It is therefore import-ant to maintain such habitats and support their restoration in both qual-ity and quantity, and to establish connectivity between them.

While there is still a considerable need for research on insect decline, there is already sufficient scientific evidence of its causes, as listed above, thus justifying an urgent need for action – including for precautionary reasons. The wider public has been paying very close attention to the significant insect decline and it is a frequently discussed topic. The public has high expectations that policymakers counteract this development, swiftly and comprehensively.

42 %of the insect species re-

corded in the Red Lists are considered endangered,

extremely rare, or already extinct!

In the areas studied by the Krefeld entomological society, the flying insect biomass declined by an average of 76 percent over a period of 27 years.

Data on insect decline

Sources: Hallman et al. (2017): More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas. In: PLoS ONE 12(10); German Red Lists (Rote Listen der gefährdeten Tier-, Pflanzen- und Pilzarten Deutschlands ); design idee/BMU

45 percent of the insect species recorded in the Red Lists show a long-term trend of population decline; these include 96 percent of the caddisfly species, 63 percent of the butterflies, 60 percent of the ants and 42 percent of the wild bees.

Numerous regional as well as European and inter-national studies confirm this insect decline trend.


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3 Aims of the action programme

With the Action Programme for Insect Conservation (Aktionsprogramm Insektenschutz) the Federal Government aims to improve the conditions for insects and biodiversity in Germany in order to combat insect decline.

The objective of the Action Programme for Insect Conservation is to reverse the trend of declining insect abundance and species diversity.

Whether or not this objective will be met can be measured by means of the degree to which the following sub-goals are met:

→ Improvement in the Red List status of insects: • There is an overall reduction in the proportion of threatened and

regionally extinct red-listed insect species.• There is an overall positive trend in the short-term with respect to

the red-listed threatened insect species.

→ Increase in insect biomass while maintaining species diversity.

Baseline data for monitoring the achievement of the set goals are pro-vided by the Red Lists and, in particular, by the nationwide insect moni-toring scheme, the conceptual design and implementation of which is itself a measure as part of this programme (Measure 7.1). The planned scientific biodiversity monitoring centre (wissenschaftliches Monitoringzentrum für Biodiversität) will also contribute to the advancement of the insect monitoring scheme.

The long-term insect monitoring scheme will be installed incrementally and will regularly provide nationally representative data on the status and development of the insect world, thus demonstrating the effectiveness or otherwise of programmes and instruments.

In order to achieve the objectives, concrete measures will be undertaken as part of the action programme within the following nine areas of action, as described in Chapter B:

Supporting insect habitats and structural diversity in agricultural landscapes

Restoring and connecting insect habitats in other landscape areas

Enhancing protected areas as insect habitats

Reducing the use of pesticides

Reducing inputs of nutrients and pollutants in soil and water

Mitigating light pollution

Intensifying research – strengthening knowledge – closing gaps

Improving funding – creating incentives

Promoting civic commitment

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The ichneumon wasps (Ichneumonidae) form the most speciesrich family of hymenoptera in Central Europe

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At a glance: Key measures of the Action Programme for Insect Conservation

→ Binding statutory requirements under an Insect Conservation Act (Insektenschutz-Gesetz) and parallel statutory ordinances with regard to changes to nature conservation law, law on plant protec-tion products, legislation on fertiliser use, and water law

→ An additional 100 million Euro per year to promote insect conservation and expand insect research

→ Conservation and restoration of insect habitats in all areas of the landscape and in urban spaces with special consideration to be given to transition and boundary habitats (ecotones)

→ Clear guidance on environmentally and ecologically compatible applications of pesticides and a significant reduction in the depos-ition of pesticides and other harmful substances in insect habitats

→ Mitigation of light pollution and insects’ attraction to light

→ Promotion and support of civic commitment in all areas of society for the benefit of insects

A European peacock butterfly (Inachis io) in spring on cherry blossoms. The European peacock butterfly is a butterfly in the Nymphalidae family

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4 Players – effective together

Commitment by many stakeholders will be needed to halt insect decline. As this paper sets out the Federal Government’s action programme, it encompasses the measures that the Federal Government itself is able to take.

However, it will not be possible to effectively combat insect decline without the regional states (Länder) undertaking additional activities. These include, in particular, the support programmes offered by the regional states, regional state regulations, executive guidelines, strategy planning and educational offers at all levels.

Therefore it is important that the conferences of federal and regional state ministers for the environment as well as for agriculture respectively support the intention of the Federal Government to develop an Action Programme for Insect Conservation (Aktionsprogramm Insektenschutz). At the initiative of the Conference of Environment Ministers (Umweltministerkonferenz), the measures proposed by the Federal Government and the measures that are planned or are already being implemented by the Länder are to be merged into a catalogue of measures. As part of a joint initiative of the Federal Government and the Länder called “Mehr Res-pekt vor dem Insekt” (more respect for insects), the individual measures are to be combined suitably into an ongoing programme for the sustain-able protection of insects that is coordinated to the greatest possible extent.

However, effective insect conservation is not just a matter of public policy. In recent months, insect decline has received a great deal of media and pub-lic attention. For this reason, as part of a discussion phase in the autumn of 2018, the public was involved in drawing up the action programme’s


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catalogue of measures. This participation included discussions with the Länder and stakeholder associations, a simulation game for young people and, in particular, a four-week long online dialogue as part of which citi-zens were able to voice their opinions and contribute their own ideas for insect conservation to the discussions. A list of examples of tangible project ideas contributed by the public is given in Chapter 9. Citizen participation in the online dialogue was unusually high. Citizens contributed more than 27,500 ratings, 1,075 comments and more than 320 proposals for new measures to the online dialogue with respect to the action programme. The results of the public discussion phase were documented and taken into account when drawing up the catalogue of measures.

The public’s concern and significant interest are accompanied by an extraordinary willingness on the part of society at large to actively engage in insect protection. To their very great credit, many public and private societal players, such as municipalities, foundations, associations, educational institutions, farmers, businesses as well as citizens’ action groups and right down to individual citizens have developed and imple-mented their own practical ideas for insect conservation in recent months.

This action programme aims to further support and foster this civic commitment and existing readiness to act. Therefore, a separate area of action of this programme (Chapter B 9 – Promoting civic commit-ment) is devoted to this task. The chapter outlining this area of action also contains a list of examples of ideas for tangible project approaches to be taken by a range of different players in the interest of insect protection as contributed by citizens who took part in the online dialogue with regard to the action programme, and the pursuit of which would appear to be beneficial.

Meadows provide protection for a variety of insects

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5 The action programme in relation to other strategies and programmes

Biological diversity or “biodiversity” in short, meaning the diversity of ecosystems and species as well as genetic diversity, has for many years now been declining around the world. We humans utilise the natural environment beyond the limits of its functional capacity and threaten and destroy the natural resource base on which our lives depend. In al-most no other area has the planetary boundaries been exceeded as much as in the area of biodiversity.

The insect decline and the increasing loss of biodiversity overall are a con-crete and very clear expression of the fact that biodiversity is not doing well. Without diverse and intact ecosystems there are no insects. And vice versa: without insects there are no diverse and functional ecosystems. Biodiversity conservation and the conservation of insects are inextricably linked. Therefore, the Action Programme for Insect Conservation simul-taneously represents an active contribution to achieving the biodiversity objectives of the Federal Government.

In 1992, the international community adopted the United Nations Con-vention on Biological Diversity in order to halt biodiversity decline. All member states, including Germany, committed to developing national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Moreover, the conservation of biodiversity by means of the protection of terrestrial ecosystems is one of the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, which was trans-posed into national policy via Germany’s National Sustainable Develop-ment Strategy (Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie, DNS). The DNS set out numerous measures in this regard. The protection of nature and biodiver-sity are also an important concern at the EU level, prompting the EU to adopt its own biodiversity strategy in 2011.

Grasshoppers are common throughout Germany and live in meadows, abandoned grasslands or even on infrequently mown traffic islands

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The Federal Government meets its international commitments with respect to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity with, in particular, its 2007 German National Strategy on Biological Diversity (Nationale Strategie zur biologischen Vielfalt, NBS). This ambitious and comprehensive nature conservation strategy aims at halting biodiversity decline in Germany and pushing for positive developments. The Federal Government Strategy for the Exemplary Consideration of Biodiversity on all Federal Properties (Strategie der Bundesregierung zur vorbildlichen Berücksichtigung von Biodiversitätsbelangen auf allen Flächen des Bundes, StrÖff) builds on the NBS objectives and gives them more concrete expres-sion specifically with regard to properties in federal ownership.

While there have been some partial successes in recent years, the achieve-ment of Germany’s biodiversity objectives requires substantial additional efforts on the part of the Federal Government, the Länder, and the mu-nicipal level, and preferably in all policy areas concerned. This is evident from the 2017 national report on the status of the strategy’s implemen-tation, and it is one of the reasons for the announcement, as part of the coalition agreement for the 19th legislative period, that NBS implemen-tation is to be accelerated. This action programme makes an important contribution in this regard.

In addition, the Action Programme for Insect Conservation supports a number of different ongoing international processes specifically designed to protect pollinators.

In late 2018, the 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Egypt adopted The International Pollinator Initiative Plan of Action 2018 to 2030, which sets out comprehensive recommendations for the protection of pollin-ators, addressing areas such as the promotion of policies and strategies, the implementation of suitable local measures, as well as monitoring, research and evaluation. It encourages CBD Parties to take effective measures against further pollinator decline. Relevant land user groups such as the agriculture sector, urban communities and other stakeholder groups are encouraged to directly and indirectly address the drivers of pollinator decline.

Moreover, Germany is a member of the Coalition of the Willing on Pollin-ators which was established in 2016 partly in reaction to the Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production by the Intergov-ernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Ser-vices (IPBES). The coalition members commit themselves to develop and implement strategies for the protection of pollinators and their habitats.

A further initiative seeking to contribute to the global efforts for the pro-tection of pollinators is the EU Pollinators Initiative. It aims at improving scientific knowledge and tackling the known causes of pollinator decline, and promoting collaboration between all affected stakeholders.

The present action programme addresses those areas of action for pollin-ator conservation that have been identified at both the UN and EU levels, and it gives more concrete expression to the German contribution to both processes.

The sixspot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) is a dayflying moth

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: Areas of action and measures for insect conservation

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1 Supporting insect habitats and structural diversity in agricultural landscapes

More than half of Germany’s land area is used by agriculture. Therefore, agricultural landscapes and the engagement of the agricultural and for-estry sectors play an important role in providing insect habitats. Over recent decades, numerous insect species have lost their natural habitats as a result of increased grassland management intensity, the loss of fallow lands, the removal of small-scale structures in the agricultural landscape (for example field margins, hedgerows, flower-rich herbaceous ecotones and humid micro-habitats), an increasing homogeneity in croplands, and the loss of areas to non-agricultural land uses. Similarly, insect habitats are lost as a result of vegetation succession (for example by woody plants) due to under-utilisation or complete abandonment of marginal sites. This trend needs to be halted in cooperation with the agriculture and forestry sectors as well as other rural players.

Objective

To increase structural diversity in agricultural landscapes and to maintain, expand or restore insect habitats in sufficient quality and quantity, and to manage these habitats with a view to insect needs.

Profile: The marbled white butterfly (Melanargia galathea)

The marbled white butterfly is Germany’s “Butterfly of the year 2019”. It takes its name from the distinctive colouring of its upper wing surfaces. This butterfly has a wing span of four to five centimetres and can be found between June and August in meadows and woodland clearings, sand pits and many other dry locations. The female lays its eggs on the wing. The adults prefer the nectar of purple flowers such as knap-weed and plume thistle.

The marbled white is not yet endangered in Germany. The butterflies need low-nutrient meadows that are rich in flowering plants. As a re-sult of fertiliser use and early mowing, such meadows are now rare in many parts of Germany. The butterfly can be helped not only by using grassland extensively and mowing it appropriately but also by leaving or restoring verges alongside tracks and ditches.

The following sections set out the measures in the nine areas of action that are to compre-hensively combat insect decline and restore living conditions for insects in Germany.


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→ Spatial steering of agroecological measures on the basis of existing sectoral plans for agriculture and nature conservation (for example biotope network planning, municipal landscape planning) with a view to improving the functional connectivity of habitats and the agricultural landscape.

→ Measures to support all speciesrich grassland types and to increase the area of grassland under extensive management as well as of speciesrich specialty crops such as traditional extensive grasslandorchard systems or steep slope viticulture.

→ Promotion of insectfriendly mowing regimes and techniques of grazing.

→ Maintenance and enhancement of soil biodiversity, for example by means of supporting reduced tillage, solid manure systems and pastured livestock, management that increases soil organic matter, and continuous soil cover.

→ Maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity by means of more diverse crop rotations and extensive arable management aided by productionintegrated measures (such as tillage plots managed with a view to lightloving species (Lichtäcker), multicropping, widely spaced drills in cereal crops, and stubble fallow).

→ Further development of seed mixes for flowering strips for beneficials and biodiversity beneficial plant mixes integrated into arable plots as part of agri environmental schemes, for example by adding specific locally adapted plants providing pollen and nectar that are highly beneficial to wild bees.

→ Maintenance and restoration of plots for overwintering wildlife, for example unmown grassland subplots, unploughed arable subplots.

→ Utilising opportunities offered by digitalisation with a view to facilitating the implementation of measures by farmers as well as for ease of monitoring by regional public authorities.

→ Incentives for insectfriendly forest management measures (see Chapter 2).

Measures

1.1 The Federal Government in coordination with the regional states (Länder) will advocate for the needs of insect conservation as part of a German strategy plan for the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2020, with a view to maintaining and creating diverse habitats as well as connecting corridors for insects in the agricultural landscape.

This includes the following:

→ Consideration of measures designed to maintain and increase the area under extensively man-aged grassland, to maintain, restore and establish connectivity between small-scale structures and habitats, to guarantee diverse crop rotations, and to establish – in particular as part of the conditional-ity obligations – minimum requirements for non-productive areas in the agricultural landscape with a view to their benefit to biodiversity and insects.

→ Effective involvement of nature conservation au-thorities with regard to environmental and climate aspects as part of the German strategy plan.

Description: The German CAP strategy plan will be a key instrument for the implementation of the EU specifications for the 2021 to 2027 programming period. When establishing instruments as part of the strategy plan, the following aspects of support for insects and their diversity are to be taken into consideration:

→ A substantial minimum proportion of nonproductive sites in the agricultural landscape that are not primarily devoted to agricultural production but primarily serve as potential habitats for insects (fallows, field margins, flowerrich herbaceous margins, hedgerows and other smallscale structures); the extent and configuration of these sites is to be determined in connection with the new green architecture, without falling below current environmental standards.

→ Appropriate remuneration of farmers for the voluntary provision and management of sites for the purposes of biodiversity conservation, for example for refraining from applications of fertilisers or crop pesticides.

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The measures should allow for an adequate level of flexibility, avoid unnecessary bureaucratic constraints and risks for participants, and should be developed and implemented by stakeholders in agriculture in cooperation with nature conservation stakeholders. Account should be taken of the need to adequately compensate farm holdings for their contribution.

Transition and boundary habitats – indispensable for insects

Diverse transition or boundary habitats (ecotones) can be found in transitional areas between different eco-systems, habitats or landscapes. In semi-natural land-scapes the boundaries between different ecosystems tend not to be sharply delineated but rather gradually transition from one to the next. Such transitional areas can occur naturally, such as along shorelines, or can be due to human influences, such as cultural landscapes in central Europe. This is true for trackside verges or field margins, for example, or for hedgerows bordering ar-able land.

Transition and boundary habitats of sufficient width offer a significant number of ecological niches. As a result, the abundance and species diversity of insects tends to be particularly high in such habitats. Moreover, they serve as dispersal corridors and stepping stones in the sense of ecological networks and serve as buf-fers from undesirable inputs, such as contaminants originating in neighbouring ecosystems. As a result of their complex life-cycle, many insects move between different sub-habitats within a contiguous spatial area, for example for reproduction, larval development, or feeding. Moreover, areas transitioning into productive

land often serve as overwintering areas or refuges for many insect species, such as ground-living species in agricultural land. During periods of soil cultiva-tion these species can retreat to the transition and boundary structures. Many species overwinter in such areas. Even just the loss of one component of such an ecological network can result in the extirpation of the population in question. The more diverse the transition and boundary habitats present in a landscape, the more highly valuable the landscape for insects. In an agricultural landscape more or less devoid of struc-tures, ecological quality can be improved significantly by means of targeted creation and restoration of transition and boundary habitats and insect-friendly management thereof.

The protection, restoration and enhancement of tran-sition and boundary habitats of importance to insects is therefore reflected in numerous measures set out in this action programme. This includes in particular the measures designed to protect insect habitats as part of the Areas of Action 1, 2 and 3 and the Areas of Action 4 and 5 aimed at reducing the deposition of substances detrimental to insects.

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1.2 The Federal Government will develop an arable farming strategy backed by funding. The strategy will, among other provisions, include measures designed to foster biodiversity in the agricultural landscape and to support insect conservation.

Description: The Federal Government’s arable farming strategy (Ackerbaustrategie), the drafting of which was agreed as part of the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD for the 19th legislative period, will set out options and a roadmap that a sustainable, that is ecologically compatible and economically viable arable farming sector enjoying strengthened societal acceptance must follow in future. In addition to safeguarding the supply of food, feed and biobased raw materials, the strategy’s objectives and guidelines include the protection of natural resources, climate protection, the adaptation of arable farming to climate change, income security, the improvement of societal acceptance, and biodiversity maintenance and enhancement in the agricultural landscape. Targeted measures, especially with regard to improving biodiversity in the agricultural landscape, are to give special consideration to insect conservation as part of the arable farming strategy.

1.3 The Federal Government will, as one aspect of its support for experimental plots, investigate the opti-mal use of digital technologies in agriculture with a view to conserving biodiversity and insects.

Description: The experimental plots are digitally delineated trial plots on agricultural holdings intended to investigate the optimal use of digital technologies for the purposes of protecting the environment, animal welfare, and biodiversity and with a view to easing workloads, among other aspects. To this end, experimental plots will be established all over Germany starting in the second half of 2019.

1.4 By 2022, the Federal Government will contribute to utilising, for the purposes of insect conservation, the potential of verges along agricultural tracks and other transport routes in the agricultural landscape.


→ The development of specific recommendations for action and planning tools with regard to biodiver-sity that take into consideration the special re-quirements of insect conservation, and an ex-ante assessment of their effectiveness.

→ Conducting a representative sampling, based on physiographic units, of the potential of transition habitats at the municipal level in selected pilot areas, including an analysis of changes in the road/track network and an estimation of the potential of railway lines and canals.

→ Advocating with municipalities and their leading community associations for them to check sites in their ownership and, where appropriate, to take measures to utilise those sites for insect conservation.

Description: In many instances, the verges along rural tracks have been impacted significantly by usage or have disappeared altogether. Insect habitats and important connecting corridors have been lost as a result. The municipalities should no longer tolerate this practice on sites in their ownership; they should restore the verges and take steps to enhance them for insect conservation. Some districts and municipalities (Soest district for example) have already launched initiatives in this regard. The restoration and enhancement of verges, including those along roads, railway lines and canals, not only benefits insect conservation but also results in improved habitat connectivity for many other species (also see Measure 2.6 with regard to sites accompanying or ancillary to infrastructure).

1.5 The Federal Government will continue to sup-port the expansion of the proportion of farmland under organic management with a target of 20 percent by 2030, thus contributing to insect conservation.

Description: As part of Germany’s National Sustainable Development Strategy, the Federal Government has set itself a target of expanding the proportion of farmland under organic management to 20 percent by 2030. The 2017 “Organic Farming – Looking Forwards” strategy of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) focuses on measures in five areas of action in order to realise the organic farming sector’s growth potential: Design a futurefocused, coherent legal framework; simplify access to organic farming; fully utilise and increase potential demand; improve performance in organic agriculture systems; reward environmental services in an appropriate way. Measures cover aspects ranging from the advancement of European statutory instruments to the development of an overall concept for the efficient remuneration of environmental services. The Federal Scheme for Organic and other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture (Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau und andere

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Insect conservation in organic farming

The EU legal provisions for organic agriculture and the German organic producer associations’ standards based thereon contain a range of specifications and recom-mendations that are of benefit to the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity and the maintenance of plant and animal genetic resources. Pursuant to the EU Organic Regulation (EC Reg. 834/2007), one of the key objectives of organic production is to contribute to a high level of biological diversity (Article 3). This object-ive is achieved, in particular, by means of the following production standards and recommendations: Foregoing the use of chemically-synthesised crop pesticides has direct positive impacts on the living conditions of wild fauna and flora. Limited livestock stocking densities and feed purchases as well as the non-use of mineral nitrogen fertiliser guarantee improved nutrient bal-ances, and improved nitrogen balances in particular, with one of the outcomes being lower crop densities which in turn provide more habitat and feed sources for wild flora and fauna. Weed control in organic agriculture primarily focuses on preventive measures such as adapted crop rotations and mechanical as well as thermal processes. In their production standards, some organic associations specify that a minimum

of 20 percent of the managed arable area must be cropped with legumes, a specification that goes beyond the EU Organic Regulation. Moreover, the standards recommend targeted measures to promote beneficials (preventive crop protection) with a view to improving the systems’ capacity for self-regulation. Recent comparative research on arable flora, arable seed banks and boundary vegetation (for example Sanders/Hess 2019) has shown that there is clear evidence of a positive impact of organic agriculture on species numbers and abundance. In this context, posi-tive effects of organic agricultural management were also confirmed for selected groups of insects.

Formen nachhaltiger Landwirtschaft, BÖLN) is the key financing instrument for the strategy’s implementation. Additionally, the conversion to and maintenance of organic agricultural management practices is supported financially by the Joint Task for the Improvement of Agricultural Structure and Coastal Protection (GAK) (Ge-meinschaftsaufgabe Agrarstruktur und Küstenschutz, GAK) of the Federal Government and the Länder and under Pillar 2 of the European agricultural policy.

1.6 From 2020 onward, the Federal Government will conduct a nationwide contest “Insect-friendly management of agricultural landscapes”.

Description: A nationwide contest aims at honouring regions (for example municipalities and agricultural holdings) which, based on a concept, implement a number

of measures for insect conservation (for example insectfriendly farming, establishment of insect habitats, management of boundary habitats and fallows, reactivation of verges along agricultural tracks for the purposes of insect conservation) and evaluate the measures’ success. The aim of the contest is to contribute to the longterm continuation of successful measures for insect conservation and to their transferral to other regions.

Sources: Sanders J, Hess J (eds) (2019): Leistungen des ökolo-gischen Landbaus für Umwelt und Gesellschaft. Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Thünen Report 65.

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2 Restoring and connecting insect habitats in other landscape areas

As in farmland, many insect habitats outside of the agricultural land-scape are in an unfavourable condition or have vanished completely. The remaining insect habitats deteriorate if they are not afforded suf-ficient protection, if they become isolated as a result of landscape frag-mentation, or if they are managed in a manner that is detrimental to insects. The restoration of insect habitats is an urgent task. Moreover, it is important to counteract the further fragmentation of habitats result-ing, among other influences, from the tight-knit transport network and infrastructure projects.

Objective

Insect habitats outside the agricultural landscape are to be restored and their quality improved. This involves the targeted creation and insect-appropriate maintenance of landscape elements, transition and boundary structures as well as the networking of habitats.

Profile: The two-spot ladybird (Adalia bipunctata)

The two-spot ladybird is up to 5.5 millimetres long and is found throughout Germany. It occurs both as a red beetle with two black spots and as a black beetle with red spots. The black form is seen mainly in autumn. On account of the dark colouring the insect is quickly warmed by the sun and therefore reproduces faster. In winter the increased activity becomes a disadvantage, be-cause the ladybird’s fat reserves are used up more quickly. In spring it is therefore the red form that is more often encountered.

The two-spot ladybird is found mainly in the tree and shrub layer on the edge of woodland and in parks and gardens. It overwinters from October until the end of April, often under bark, in thick clumps of grass or in buildings. The two-spot ladybird is an important beneficial insect: its larvae can eat up to 150 aphids per day, while adults eat up to 50. Unlike the common and likewise native seven-spot ladybird, the two-spot ladybird has no immunity to certain parasites that are transmitted by the imported harlequin ladybird.


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Measures

2.1 From 2020 onwards, the Federal Government will make available additional funding for measures in the area of insect-friendly forest management. Equally from 2020 onwards model concepts will be implemented on German federal forest sites.


→ Funding for contractual conservation management agreements and other measures designed to support insects and insect diversity in forests in the context of the Joint Task for the Improvement of Agricul-tural Structure and Coastal Protection (Gemeinschaftsaufgabe Agrarstruktur und Küsten schutz, GAK) and the Federal Programme for Biological Diversity (Bundesprogramm Biologische Vielfalt).

→ Eligibility as compensation measures of actions designed to foster living conditions for insects in forests.

→ Development and implementation of guidelines for insect-friendly forest management for forests owned by the Federal Government, insofar as this does not contravene the federal property’s specified priority purpose, and advocacy with Länder, munici-palities and private forest owners giving impetus to them to develop and implement similar guidelines.

Description: Forests are characterised by a high site diversity, structures and specific plant species offering insects of all kinds food and habitats for their development. The many opportunities of sustainable and closetonature forest management give rise to a range of different insect communities. Insects visiting the inflorescences of trees, for example, are dependent on habitat conditions different to those required by insects living in and of wood.

The following approaches are intended to help forest management to identify, raise awareness and take greater account of and implement the concerns of conservation of insects and their diversity:

→ Development and implementation of specific conservation concepts for insects and insect diversity in forests, differentiated, for example, by species groups or ecological guilds. Differentiated concepts are also required, in particular, for awarenessraising, for the identification of hotspots, and in order to identify

and resolve conflicting objectives within the field of insect conservation. Relevant concepts should be developed jointly by nature conservation and forest management stakeholders.

→ Establishment of incentives for the development and implementation of concepts for the protection of habitat trees, old growth and deadwood in forests.

→ Maintenance and creation of internal and external forest edges and transition habitats of staggered height, forest glades, forest meadows and open habitats adjacent to forests.

→ Support for historic and structurally rich forms of forest management, such as coppice or coppice with standards in conjunction with open habitat complexes.

→ Establishment of incentives for giving particular consideration to the concerns of insect conservation in the context of both afforestation and reforestation (for example introduction of native tree and shrub species that are particularly rich in flowers (bee forage)).

→ Development and implementation of concepts informed by the principles of nature conservation for the targeted creation of special patch habitats for forest insects dependent on such habitats.

→ Management planning should more strongly integrate the issue of insect conservation in the future.

→ Measures for the implementation of wilderness objectives as part of the German National Strategy on Biological Diversity.

2.2 With a view to improving insect conservation in the areas of water bodies, the Federal Government will amend the existing provision on riparian buffer strips (Section 38 WHG) of the Federal Water Act. It will also further advance the restoration of water bodies and floodplains as part of “Germany’s Blue Belt” programme (Blaues Band Deutschland).


→ Amendment of the provision on riparian buffer strips (Section 38) of the Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz, WHG), in coordination with the provisions on the use of plant protection products

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and fertilisers alongside water bodies (see Measures 4.1 and 5.1).

→ Consistent implementation of Germany’s Blue Belt programme (Bundesprogramm Blaues Band Deutschland) for the restoration of watercourses and floodplains.

Description: Riparian buffer strips and the margins of standing waters can provide a diverse range of habitats for speciesrich insect communities. These marginal strips also serve as buffers against inputs of nutrients and harmful substances, thus also contributing to improvements in water quality. It is important to expedite the

nearnatural development of habitats in and alongside of watercourses and standing waters in conjunction with improvements in water body structure and dynamics, not only for insect conservation.

With its “Germany’s Blue Belt” programme as adopted in 2017, the Federal Government aims at establishing a habitat network of national importance along federal waterways. Its focus is on restoration measures in the secondary network which comprises 2,800 kilometers of federal waterways. The Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) will establish a separate support programme for floodplain restoration, with insect conservation being an integral component. For the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive along federal waterways, the Federal Government will launch a legislative initiative with a view to enabling the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes) to assume authority for watercourse development of federal waterways, insofar as this is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.

In view of the diverse and complex drivers of insect decline, the Action Programme for Insect Conservation focuses on a set of measures ranging from legislative changes, financial support schemes, recommendations and guidelines to monitoring and research.

Important legislative changes planned as part of the action programme are to be combined into an Insect Conservation Act in the form of an omnibus law ac-companied by parallel statutory ordinances. The draft-ing of the individual provisions of this act and of the

statutory ordinances will continue to fall under the aegis of the relevant competent ministries.

In particular, this concerns the following measures:

→ Amendments to the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, BNatSchG)

∙ Additions to the list of legally protected biotopes (Measure 3.2)

∙ Strengthening of landscape planning (2.4)

→ Amendments to the provision on riparian buffer strips as part of the Federal Water Act (2.2)

→ Amendments to the Ordinance on the Use of Plant Protection Products (Pflanzenschutz-Anwendungs-verordnung)

∙ Prohibition of the application of plant protection products that are of particular relevance to insects in ecologically particularly vulnerable areas (4.1)

∙ Restriction and cessation of the use of plant protection products containing glyphosate and substances having similar effects (4.3)

→ Amendments to the Fertiliser Ordinance (Dünge-verordnung) with a view to advancing the provi-sions on fertiliser applications (5.1)

Insect Conservation Act

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2.3 As part of its urban nature master plan (Master-plan Stadtnatur) the Federal Government will initiate measures to promote insect diversity in urban areas.


→ Support for municipalities with a view to insect-friendly green space management, the use of site-appropriate insect-friendly plants including trees and shrubs as well as the establishment of nesting sites.

→ Inclusion of the concerns of nature conservation into federal support instruments of relevance to insect conservation.

→ Knowledge transfer and awareness-raising on the issue of urban nature.

Description: While the spread of settlements contributes to reducing available nesting and feeding sites and thus puts insect habitats at risk, there is great potential in urban areas as well as villages to contribute to insect conservation. Gardens, parks and traffic islands that are designed to be nearnatural or rich in structures and species can constitute important habitats for insects in urban areas. Nearnatural and thus insectfriendly green space management and appropriate interventions such as insectfriendly mowing regimes or insectcompatible mowing techniques can further enhance insect habitats in and around settlements. The measures listed are designed, in particular, to improve food sources for flowervisiting insects as well as to improve nesting and overwintering sites for insects in urban areas. A large number of municipalities have already carried out their own insect conservation projects, for example Frankfurt, Cologne and Donzdorf.

2.4 The Federal Government will strengthen insect conservation in planning processes.


→ Specification in greater detail, pursuant to Sec-tion 2(1) of the Federal Regional Planning Act (Raumordnungsgesetz, ROG), of the principles of regional development with a view to improving the implementation of the supra-regional biotope network and in order to safeguard the necessary sites.

→ Amendments to the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, BNatSchG) with a view to strengthening landscape planning and thus contributing to insect conservation.

→ Spatial steering of compensatory measures on the basis of suitable nature conservation sectoral plans (for example biotope network planning, municipal-level landscape planning) with a view to improving the functional connectivity of habitats.

→ Measures to restore connectivity along major federal roads.

Description: It is essential that the supraregional biotope network be completed in order to create additional and interconnected habitats, including insect habitats. Landscape planning is the key planning instrument to achieve the objectives of nature conservation and landscape management. It specifies in greater detail the objectives of nature conservation and landscape management at a local and supralocal spatial level for the entire territory of a municipality. Landscape planning in particular should be improved when it comes to advancing the restoration and qualitative enhancement of insect habitats, especially with regard to their spatial connectivity. Landscape planning is also to be strengthened in legal terms with a view to insect conservation, so as to be in a better position to fulfil its functions in the future. The reinforcement of the biotope network is to be undertaken whilst showing the highest possible consideration for the retention of existing agricultural areas.

2.5 The Federal Government will support the improve ment of mitigation and compensation meas-ures with a view to their effectiveness for insect con-servation.


→ Review of existing compensation sites in terms of their effectiveness as regards their support for in-sects and insect diversity.

→ Development of instructions for taking into con-sideration insect groups in mitigation and com-pensation measures.

Description: When the realisation of infrastructure projects results in significant adverse impacts on nature and

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the landscape despite set avoidance and mitigation measures, measures will need to be taken to compensate for the intervention. There tend to be significant knowledge gaps as to the effectiveness of compensation measures for insect conservation. In light of the loss of insect diversity, mitigation and compensation measures in the context of the intervention provisions contained in nature conservation law must also be targeted at insect conservation. Suitable measures for the restoration of habitats for insect species are to be derived from the findings of analyses of the effectiveness of existing compensation sites; these are to be incorporated into relevant instructions.

2.6 The Federal Government will advance the man-agement of properties in federal ownership as well as of sites accompanying and ancillary to infrastructure with a view to insect conservation.


→ Orientation of operational services on sites ancil-lary to infrastructure toward the promotion of insect diversity, for example by means of specifica-tions for road maintenance services working dir-ectly for or on behalf of the Federal Government, for railway operational areas, and for corridor management under interstate ultra-high voltage power lines.

→ Development of specifications for the management and maintenance of properties in federal ownership with a view to improved insect conservation.

Description: Properties in federal ownership are used for a range of different purposes and are of widely divergent sizes, from small urban sites with individual buildings to mediumsized areas containing several office buildings and up to several hectares in size, such as sites used by the German army in particular.

In its operation and maintenance of properties in federal ownership, including sites ancillary to federal transport routes such as federal waterways, major federal roads and the railway infrastructure, the Federal Government will duly serve as a role model and optimise its activities with a view to fostering insects and insect diversity. This action programme will not affect the provisions of Section 4 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG, Safeguarding the functionality of areas devoted to public purposes). Even when federal properties are primarily devoted to federal tasks (e.g. sites for military exercises) and their designated use must be guaranteed, site management is to take into account aspects of insect conservation. This takes account not only of the Federal Government Strategy for the Exemplary Consideration of Biodiversity on all Federal Property (StrÖff) but also of the provisions of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) which specify that in the management of

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land in public ownership or custody particular consideration is to be given to the concerns of nature conservation and landscape management.

2.7 The Federal Government will take action to achieve the objective to limit the increase in land take for housing and transport to less than 30 hectares per day by 2030 and, in the long term, to net zero by 2050, as set out in Germany’s National Sustainable Devel-opment Strategy.


→ Conducting a broad dialogue in 2019 between the Federal Government, the regional states (Länder) and the municipalities regarding the improved application of instruments for inner urban devel-opment.

→ Advocating with the Länder for their applica-tion of the new regional planning clause with respect to land consumption (Section 2(2) No. 6, sentence 3, Federal Regional Planning Act), that is to quantify land savings targets as set out in the clause, and to clearly state and implement rele-vant specifications.

Description: Undeveloped sites that are unfragmented and unspoilt by urban sprawl in the municipal “Außen-bereich”, that is outside of the legally defined builtup area, are important habitats for insects. The use and – in its most extreme form – sealing of such areas generally results in a loss of biodiversity, a loss of natural soil functions and a loss of fertile agricultural land. The planned dialogues will build on the most recent recommendations issued by the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Deutsches Instituts für Urbanistik) whose Action Plan Report summarises constructive instruments designed to reduce land consumption. The aim will be to discuss solutions for how to better utilise existing recommendations and practical guidelines in municipal practice. As part of the quantification of land saving targets in spatial planning practice, questions are also to be raised as to the issues around land consumption and their connection to strengthening the concerns of insect conservation, nature and landscape in the context of general agricultural structural funding.

2.8 The Federal Government together with the region al states (Länder) will develop national species action plans for selected insect species with a view to facilitating targeted supra-regional measures.


→ Selection of species for which Germany has a na-tional responsibility for their global protection, that are highly endangered and/or that are pro-tected under law and for which therefore there is an urgent need for action.

→ Development of national species action plans for the above-mentioned species that occur in multiple Länder and have specific habitat requirements.

→ More detailed specification of species-specific conser vation and protection measures.

Description: The targeted protection of specific endangered insect species – especially species for which Germany has national responsibility – necessitates supraregional action plans that go beyond general habitat management or protected area management. These species action plans should be developed jointly with the Länder, be discussed with affected stakeholders at an early stage, and be developed in cooperation with those stakeholders.

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3 Enhancing protected areas as insect habitats

Site protection is one of the most important instruments of nature con-servation and landscape management. Protected areas directly contribute to the maintenance of species and their habitats. However, significant insect decline is also evident in protected areas. Internal and external influences often contribute to conservation objectives not being achieved.

Objective

The objective is to significantly improve conditions for insects in protected areas.

Profile: The ornate bluet (Coenagrion ornatum)

The ornate bluet is a damselfly with a body up to three centimetres long and a wing span of up to five centimetres. It is black and blue in colour and can be seen from the end of May until early August. The preferred habitat of the ornate bluet is small, sunny streams such as meadow ditches. For its larvae it needs dense vegetation with aquatic plants.

The ornate bluet is extremely rare in Germany and the German Red List classifies it as “critically en-dangered”. This damselfly is under threat mainly as a result of the direct loss of suitable streams and their banks or deterioration of their water quality, dynamics and structure. The ornate bluet does not travel significant distances and this makes it difficult for it to colonise new sites. To conserve the species, it is essential to systematically pro-tect existing populations, especially through appropriate management of protected areas.


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Measures

3.1 By 2020, the Federal Government will embed insect conservation in the planned National Action Plan for Protected Areas (Aktionsplan Schutzgebiete).


→ Inclusion of measures that take insect conserva-tion into account, for the purposes of optimising the network of protected areas by enhancing con-nectivity between protected areas, by improving the integration of protected areas into broader landscapes, and by improving the quality and ef-fectiveness of protected area management.

→ Joint reflections, together with the regional states (Länder), with regard to improving the protection of the surroundings of protected areas (buffering) so as to avoid adverse boundary effects – for example as a result of the deposition of substances – in pro-tected areas (for example by means of contractual conservation agreements).

→ Funding of insect conservation measures in pro-tected areas under the Federal Programme on Biological Diversity (Bundesprogramm Biologische Vielfalt).

Description: The National Action Plan for Protected Areas is being developed jointly by the Federal Government and the regional states (Länder). It is the aim of the action plan to advance the German network of protected areas with a view to meeting current and future challenges. In this context, the contribution of protected areas to the conservation and enhancement of habitats and species in Germany is to be strengthened, with a focus on improving the quality of protected areas. This will also include measures that promote insect conservation in protected areas and measures that protect the buffers to protected areas. Germany’s national natural heritage sites will also be taken into account.

3.2 By 2021, the Federal Government will add bio-topes of special importance to insect conservation to the list of biotopes legally protected under Section 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG).

Description: Speciesrich grassland and sparse orchards as well as drystone walls and clearance cairns in the open landscape are components of extensive, structurally rich

cultural landscapes and constitute important habitats for a large number of insect species. Therefore these biotopes are to be afforded protection under Section 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG). A number of habitats that are important for many insect species are already protected under the Federal Nature Conservation Act (for example xeric and semidry grasslands, scrub on warm dry sites, nearnatural waterbodies and a number of damp habitats). Habitats that improve the situation of insects in the intensively utilised agricultural landscape are now to be added to this list with a view to increasing the food supply (flowers) and structural diversity (reproduction, cover) for insects. As a result of this legal protection, actions that could lead to the destruction or other significant adverse effects on such biotopes will be prohibited. This will be without prejudice to the safeguarding of the functionality of areas devoted to public transportation. Measures required for the maintenance and insectfriendly management of these biotopes will continue to be permitted, as will the provision of financial support for such measures. Moreover, it is the Federal Government’s objective that biotopes of particular importance for insect protection will be newly established. The extent to which the provisions of Section 68 BNatSchG on “restrictions pertaining to property; compensation and adjustment” will apply would need to be determined on a casebycase basis.

3.3 In 2019, the Federal Government will submit a proposal to the German National Committee for the UNESCO Programme “Man and the Biosphere” (MAB) to give greater consideration to insect conservation in their framework concepts for German Biosphere Reserves in their role as pilot landscapes for sustain-able development.

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→ Development of programmes of measures for insect conservation in the buffer zones and transition areas of Germany’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.

→ Advancement of international activities on insect conservation in the global network of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.

→ Support for the implementation of pilot pro-grammes of measures on insect conservation by the Biosphere Reserve administrations of the re-gional states (Länder) in the context of the Federal Programme on Biological Diversity (Bundesprogramm Biologische Vielfalt).

→ Assessment of the transferability of the pro-grammes of measures to German nature parks.

Description: The different categories of protected areas jointly contribute to insect conservation but do so in different ways. Given their overall objectives, Biosphere Reserves are particularly wellsuited to strengthen insect conservation in those areas of the reserves where there is agricultural or forestry use. The central role of Biosphere Reserves is to protect and enhance valuable cultural landscapes and the historically evolved diversity of species and habitats they contain. The buffer zones and transition areas in particular offer significant potential for pilot schemes designed to enhance existing insect habitats.

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4 Reducing the use of pesticides

Plant protection products and biocides (pesticides), both of which are used to control harmful organisms, may have adverse impacts on non-target insects even though they are officially authorised.

Objective

The Action Programme for Insect Conservation aims at signifi-cantly reducing adverse impacts on non-target insects resulting from applications of plant protection products and biocides.

Profile: The buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

The buff-tailed bumblebee is one of the largest bumblebee species. It is black with two yellow bands and a white tip to its abdomen. The queen can be almost three centimetres long. She hibernates in a hole in the ground or in dry foliage, emerging in the early spring to find a suitable place for her nest on or close to the ground. The queen rears the larvae from the first clutch of eggs alone. During this time she visits up to 6,000 flowers to find sufficient food. Later, up to 500 workers take on the task of rearing the young.

The buff-tailed bumblebee is common and can do well in almost all landscapes. Because it is an excellent pollinator of some crops, it is bred for use in greenhouses and on fruit farms. It is a generalist that gathers the nectar and pollen of a wide variety of plants. However, like other bees it depends on the sufficient availability of blossom close to its nest.


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Measures

4.1 From 2021, the Federal Government will prohibit the use of plant protection products and biocides of particular relevance to insects in ecologically particu-larly vulnerable areas.


→ Prohibition of the use of herbicides as well as of insecticides that are harmful to biodiversity in Special Areas of Conservation as defined in the European Union’s Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), nature conservation areas, national parks, national nature monuments, nature monuments and legally protected biotopes pursuant to Section 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG). The prohibition will additionally apply in Special Pro-tection Areas for Birds (Directive 2009/147/EC) that are of importance to insect conservation as deter-mined by the regional states (Länder) on their own authority. The Länder are to be authorised to ex-clude forest sites from this prohibition for reasons of public health or in order to conserve forests in cases of calamities. Reference is made to the option already existing under legislation on plant protec-tion products to exempt necessary management measures from such prohibitions.

→ In the field of plant protection legislation: Specifi-cation of mandatory minimum distances to water bodies to be kept when applying plant protection products, with the exception of small water bodies of minor importance to water management: five metres where the distance is under continuous green cover, otherwise ten metres. The regional states (Länder) may use modified distance rules in lowland areas that are rich in water bodies.

→ Initiation of a practice-oriented dialogue with the Länder on how to effectively protect insects in and along minor water bodies from the impacts of pesticide applications in adjacent areas.

→ Transferral of the rules applying to the use of plant protection products in particularly vulnerable areas to biocides.

Description: Insects and their habitats are to be given special protection in ecologically particularly vulnerable areas. In order to avoid adverse impacts on insects and

their habitats it is indispensable that the application of plant protection products and biocides of particular relevance to insects is prohibited in certain areas which for reasons of nature conservation require particularly strict protection, as well as on sites adjacent to bodies of water. This does not affect measures required for the maintenance and insectfriendly management of habitats legally protected under Section 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. The extent to which the provisions of Section 68 BNatSchG on compensation will apply to provisions on plant protection egislation will need to be determined.

4.2 The Federal Government considers the “refugial sites approach” to be a suitable approach to making the use of broad-spectrum herbicides, other herbi-cides injurious to biodiversity as well as of insecti-cides detrimental to biodiversity conditional upon the presence of refugial sites on and adjacent to the application sites.

Description: The presence of suitable and sufficiently large refuges (“refugial sites”) on and adjacent to sites in the agricultural landscape on which herbicides or insecticides are applied is to compensate for adverse impacts of certain plant protection products on biodiversity.

4.3 Using a systematic reduction strategy to be initiated in 2020, the Federal Government will sig-nificantly limit the use of plant protection products containing glyphosate and substances having similar effects by amending the Federal ordinance on bans on the use of plant protection products (Verordnung über Anwendungsverbote für Pflanzenschutzmittel) and completely phase out the use of plant protection products containing glyphosate by 2023.


→ A mandatory ban on the use of plant protection prod ucts containing glyphosate as of 31 December 2023.

→ A ban on the use of plant protection products con-taining glyphosate and substances having similar effects going beyond the site categories listed in Measure 4.1 to include the core and buffer zones of biosphere reserves as well as the protected areas surrounding source waters and recognised

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medicinal springs, provided there is no legal or con-tractual prohibition on ploughing in such areas.

→ In the run-up to 31 December 2023, a substan-tial reduction in the quantities applied of plant protection products containing glyphosate, to be achieved, inter alia, by means of prohibiting their use in private homes, gardens and allotments and on sites intended for public use, as well as a pro-hibition on pre-harvest applications and signifi-cant restrictions on pre-sowing and post-harvest applications.

→ Application of the regulatory concept described in Measure 4.2.

Description: Glyphosate is a particularly significant and widely used plant protection product in terms of the quantities used and the acreage to which it is applied. It inhibits the synthesis of certain amino acids essential for growth in all green plants and completely kills the plants. Broadspectrum herbicides such as glyphosate therefore also remove plants on which many insect species depend as a food source.

4.4 By 2021, the Federal Government will strengthen its efforts to date for the protection of the environ-ment and of insects in particular with regard to the regulations governing pesticide use, and will ensure that the authorisation processes for plant protection products will take proper consideration of the need to protect non-target organisms, biodiversity and ecosystems.

Description: Plant protection products can have adverse impacts on biodiversity in our cultural landscapes by damaging nontarget organisms. They either affect the organisms directly or eliminate their food sources by means of food web effects. In order to reduce the risks to insects, insect protection is to be taken into consideration to a much greater extent when it comes to the use of plant protection products and biocides. The aim of affording greater protection to insects as a result of an overall more environmentally compatible use of plant protection products and biocides is further to be achieved by means of support for driftreducing technology, improved technical advisory services, and by an expansion of training offers for users of plant protection products and biocides. Given the importance of insects, the use of plant protection products in Germany is to be made conditional upon

sufficient expertise. Moreover, biodiversity conservation is to be safeguarded when it comes to the authorisation of plant protection products. This is to be achieved, amongst other things, by advancing the risk assessment for plant protection products as part of European and German legislation on plant protection products, especially with regard to risks to insects.

The regulations in force with regard to plant protection products are also to be transferred to biocides characterised by comparable exposition and emission scenarios.

4.5 From 2020, the Federal Government will refrain from applications of plant protection products and biocides on federal properties, unless so warranted for overriding reasons. The Federal Government will also advocate that further cities, towns and munici-palities follow suit.

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Description: Federal properties are required for federal tasks and are designed and managed accordingly. As part of their intended purpose they may serve as role models when it comes to avoiding adverse impacts of plant protection products and biocides with a view to protecting insects. Therefore, on its properties the Federal Government will refrain from applications of plant protection products and biocides as well as from using other procedures detrimental to insects, with the exception of sites hosting research establishments used for scientific purposes. Where this is not fully achievable due to overriding interests, such as interests of traffic safety, public health, food safety or with a view to the federal property’s specified priority purpose, the latest and leastimpact technology will be used and applications will be as targeted, selective and sparing as possible.

Many municipalities have joined the “Pesticide Free Communities” (Pestizidfreie Kommunen) initiative. The Federal Government will support this initiative. Moreover, the Federal Government will advocate with other municipalities as well as with the regional states (Länder) and other public entities for them to refrain from using plant protection products and biocides.

4.6 With reference to legislation on plant protec-tion products, the Federal Government will lay down more specific requirements for sales and use of bio-cides, with the aim of reducing, as far as possible, the environmental burden of biocides.


→ Evaluation of all areas where biocides are used and where they may have adverse impacts on the environment and, in particular, on insects.

→ Restriction of biocide use by means of establishing rules on training requirements modelled on cor-responding rules under legislation on plant protec-tion products.

→ Restriction to the currently uncontrolled sales of certain biocides, and especially of those biocides intended to control insects as well as of other biocides pursuant to the results of the evaluation referred to under the first bull

action programme for insect conservation · 2020-07-23 · insect conservation in homes and...

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