News

22.05.2026 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, Research

New maps show where European landscapes can advance climate and biodiversity goals together

23.02.2026 | Biodiversity and People, Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release

Roadmap for Europe’s biodiversity monitoring system

14.08.2025 | Biodiversity Conservation, Blog Post, iDiv

Connecting Stakeholders for Biodiversity: A European Network

16.06.2025 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, Science-Policy

Integrating rewilding into intensively used farmland

02.06.2025 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research, Science-Policy

Preserving the past, protecting the future: Historic village water tanks provide a lifeline for amphibians

30.04.2025 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release

From the front garden to the continent: Why biodiversity does not increase evenly from small to large

05.03.2025 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release

The future of nature conservation in Europe

An international research team is pioneering an approach to European conservation, integrating biodiversity as a solution to environmental challenges.

09.01.2025 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release

Chimpanzees are genetically adapted local habitats and infections such as malaria

Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in their different forest and savannah habitats, some of which may protect against malaria

04.12.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

Henrique Pereira elected member of the Academia Europaea

Membership honours individuals who have demonstrated “sustained academic excellence”

02.07.2024 | Biodiversity and People, Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Science-Policy, TOP NEWS

What do we need for better biodiversity monitoring in Europe?

Based on a media release of IIASA A new publication in Conservation Letters authored by scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) with a large European consortium provides vital insights into the current status of biodiversity monitoring in Europe, identifying policy needs, challenges, and future pathways.

26.06.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Closing the Biodiversity Knowledge Gap: Unlocking Biodiversity Insights from the Tropical Andes

Report by Jose Valdez, postdoctoral researcher of Biodiversity Conservation at iDiv and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) Despite hosting some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems and the urgency of the region’s conservation challenges, researchers in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru often struggle to share their unique insights into these complex ecosystems with the global scientific community. This results in a “publication gap” where crucial biodiversity knowledge from the region remains underrepresented in global conversations.

26.04.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century

17.04.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Rewilding amphibians: Protecting endangered species to restore ecosystems

By Dr Gavin S. Stark, a postdoctoral researcher in the Biodiversity Conservation group at iDiv and lead author of the study.

03.04.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Demand for critical minerals puts African great apes at risk

A recent study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the non-profit conservation organization Re:wild shows that the threat of mining to the great ape population in Africa has been greatly underestimated. Their results have been published in Science Advances.

26.03.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, MLU News, TOP NEWS

What do birds and rivers have to do with euro notes?

22.01.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Wolves and elk are (mostly) welcome back in Poland and Germany’s Oder Delta region, survey shows

An online survey conducted in Germany and Poland shows that large parts of the participants support the return of large carnivores and herbivores, such as wolves and elk, to the Oder Delta region, according to a study published in People and Nature. Presented with different rewilding scenarios, the majority of survey participants showed a preference for land management that leads to the comeback of nature to the most natural state possible. Locals, on the other hand, showed some reservations.

03.11.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

Tailoring Biodiversity Information to Local Needs in the Threatened Tropical Andes

Lima, Halle, Leipzig. Sustainable biodiversity conservation requires cooperation among scientific, societal, economic, and political institutions. In the journal Conservation Science and Practice, researchers have published a new approach to co-designing biodiversity indicators relevant for conservation. They brought together multiple stakeholders in a consultative process, tailoring user-relevant biodiversity information to local needs. The project was led by researchers of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, together with multiple partners in the Tropical Andes. The collaborative approach can serve as a blueprint for making biodiversity information more inclusive, considering the diverse worldviews, values, and knowledge systems between science, policy, and practice.

04.09.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, Biodiversity Synthesis, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Most species are rare. But not very rare

Halle/Saale, Fort Lauderdale. More than 100 years of observations in nature have revealed a universal pattern of species abundances: Most species are rare but not very rare, and only a few species are very common. These so-called global species abundance distributions have become fully unveiled for some well-monitored species groups, such as birds. For other species groups, such as insects, however, the veil remains partially unlifted. These are the findings of an international team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Florida (UF), published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. The study demonstrates how important biodiversity monitoring is for detecting species abundances on planet Earth and for understanding how they change.

01.03.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

European conservation leaders gather to boost collective dialogue for a Trans-European Nature Network

Based on a media release by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Brussels, 28 February 2023. More than 70 leading EU policy and governmental decision-makers joined to lay the foundation for a bold new vision for Europe’s nature protection in the first NaturaConnect Stakeholder Event this year. Organised by the Horizon Europe NaturaConnect project, the event welcomed a diverse range of influential stakeholders, from country representatives to European Union delegates and international and European conservation organisations. At the heart of the NaturaConnect project is the goal of supporting the creation of a Trans-European Nature Network (TEN-N) of protected and connected areas that conserve at least 30% of land in the EU and benefit both nature and people. The new project is conducted by international partners from research and environmental organisations, led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

10.02.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

How does biodiversity change globally? Detecting accurate trends may be currently unfeasible

Leipzig/Halle. Existing data are too biased to provide a reliable picture of the global average of local species richness trends. This is the conclusion of an international research team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The authors recommend prioritising local and regional assessments of biodiversity change instead of attempting to quantify global change and advocate standardised monitoring programmes, supported by models that take measurement errors and spatial biases into account. The study was published in the journal Ecography. 

02.01.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

wildE: Restoring wild habitats in Europe against climate change

Based on a media release by INRAE  Cestas/Halle. Terrestrial ecosystems throughout Europe face the twin threats of climate change and the loss of biodiversity. “Rewilding” could be an important ecological restoration solution to mitigate both of these issues, but up to now, it is mostly restricted to local initiatives scattered across the continent focussing on biodiversity objectives alone. The wildE project aims to assess the synergies between climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity and thus to improve the potential of climate-smart rewilding as a nature-based solution for ecological restoration in Europe. wildE is funded by the EU Horizon programme and coordinated by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment INRAE with the participation of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

12.12.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, TOP NEWS

A novel and efficient method for monitoring Asian otters

South-east Asia is a melting pot of otters that are very difficult to monitor in the wild. We developed and tested a novel, accurate, and affordable DNA-based method to reliably identify three endemic Asian otter species in a paper published today in Ecology and Evolution. The protocol developed by our team of South Asian researchers from the Malaysian Nature Society, Sunway University, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Peninsular Malaysia, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) will help in monitoring and conservation of threatened otter species in Asia. We also highlight the importance and need of cost-effective and replicable techniques to advance biodiversity monitoring in highly biodiverse yet under-represented parts of the world.

10.11.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Protecting and connecting nature across Europe

Based on a media release by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Vienna/Leipzig. Europe needs healthy ecosystems that benefit biodiversity and people and are resilient to climate change. The Horizon Europe NaturaConnect Project will support European Union governments and other public and private institutions in designing a coherent, resilient and well-connect Trans-European Nature Network. The new project is conducted by international partners from research and environmental organisations, led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

29.09.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Historical reduction of the wolf in the Iberian Peninsula

Based on a media release of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain (CSIC) Seville/Leipzig. The distribution of the wolf covered at least 65% of the Iberian Peninsula in the mid-19th century. Compared to this finding, recent expansions mean little more than a stabilisation of the species. This is the result of a study led by the Doñana Biological Station of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC) in collaboration with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). To reach these conclusions, the research team analysed the historical information from a geographical survey collected in the mid-19th century. The study has been published in the journal Animal Conservation. It provides new information on the history of wolf declines due to human persecution.

27.07.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

LifeGate – New interactive map shows the full diversity of life

Joint press release of Leipzig University (Botanical Garden) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Leipzig. Researchers from Leipzig have published a gigantic digital map displaying the full diversity of life through thousands of photos. The so-called LifeGate encompasses all 2.6 million known species of this planet and shows their relationship to each other. The interactive map can now be accessed free of charge at lifegate.idiv.de.

19.07.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Informing future conservation priorities of ecosystems in the Tropical Andes

Joint press release by iDiv and NatureServe Washington D.C./Leipzig. Only about 5% of ecosystems within the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot are adequately represented in designated protected areas. Representation may be determined by a series of targets proposed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which states at least 30% of land and waters in each country should be conserved. Protecting the full diversity of ecosystems reduces extinction risk for the species those ecosystems support, but very few places on the planet currently meet the CBD target. There is an opportunity to increase representation of ecosystems that meet the CBD target to 31% (39 ecosystem types total) across four Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) through the additional protection by governments and civil societies of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), places that meet the internationally recognized standard for sites that significantly contribute to the global persistence of biodiversity. This conclusion is shown in a new study led by NatureServe, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), together with other institutions throughout the U.S., Europe, and South America. The study, now published in the journal Remote Sensing, demonstrates how Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) coupled with KBAs can inform conservation decisions at multiple scales.

15.06.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

The Gollum effect and its impacts on the scientific community

Report by Dr Jose Valdez, Postdoctoral Researcher of the Biodiversity Conservation research group at iDiv and Leipzig University, and senior author of a new publication in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution While scientific research is becoming increasingly more collaborative, the ability to freely conduct research remains restricted by established researchers who feel they have the sole right to study specific study sites, model organisms, research topics, and sometimes even entire scientific fields. Like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, they become possessively attached and guard these aspects of their research. In our recent publication in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution we refer to this as the ‘Gollum effect’ and explore ways in which this can be overcome to promote scientific openness and lead science into a new era where it is dispensed fairly instead of at the hands of a selected few.  

18.05.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Native plant gardening for species conservation

Halle/Leipzig. Declining native species could be planted in urban green spaces. Researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Leipzig University and other institutions describe how to use this great potential for species protection. In their most recent study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, they recommend practical conservation gardening methods in a bid to restructure the horticultural industry and reverse plant species declines.

27.04.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

More than one in five reptile species are threatened with extinction

Based on a media release by NatureServe, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Conservation International Virginia, Halle. At least 21% of all reptile species globally are threatened with extinction, according to a new study led by NatureServe, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Conservation International, with contributions from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The study, published in the journal Nature, also shows that conservation efforts for other animals also contribute to the preservation of many reptile species.

31.03.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, TOP NEWS

How can we improve biodiversity monitoring in Europe? 

Based on a press release by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) National biodiversity monitoring programmes in Europe face many challenges: too little coordination, inadequate technical and financial resources as well as unclear targets. This is the conclusion of an initial policy report by the Europe-wide project “EuropaBON”. The analysis includes data from more than 350 experts in policy, science and environmental protection. The team is also drafting a proposal for the transnational monitoring of Europe’s biodiversity and ecosystems.

07.02.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

7 to 9 percent of all European vascular plants are globally threatened

Halle, Leipzig. Seven to nine percent of all vascular plant species occurring in Europe are globally threatened. This is the result of a study led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig University. The researchers combined Red Lists of endangered plant species in Europe with data on their global distribution. The study has been published in the journal Plants, People, Planet. It helps assess the overall level of threat to plant species and thus supports the basis of international nature conservation activities.

17.01.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS, UFZ-News

Can “rewilding” synergize biodiversity conservation and sustainable regional development?

Based on a media release by Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD) and the UFZ The research project “REWILD_DE – Conservation of biodiversity and valorisation of ecosystem services through rewilding – learning from the Oder Delta”, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), started in November 2021. Scientists and practitioners are working together to explore the potential of rewilding for the restoration of biodiversity and the promotion of nature-based economic development in the model area of the Oder Delta in western Pomerania (north-eastern Germany). Furthermore, they will investigate to what extent the experiences and results gained during the project can be transferred beyond the project area and serve as a model for other regions. The project is coordinated at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with project 3 partners: the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) and the association Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD), a practice partner in the study area. 

09.12.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, sDiv, TOP NEWS

Widespread plants displace rarer species across habitats

Based on a press release by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) Leipzig/Vienna. Widespread species are on the rise in several European ecosystems and are replacing rarer plant species. As a result, distinct habitats are becoming increasingly similar in species composition. An international team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) with the participation of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) has found supporting evidence for this development in mountain summits as well as in forests and lowland grasslands. A proposed reason for this species shift could be increased nutrient levels in soils caused by agriculture and air pollution. The results of the study have been published in the journal Ecology Letters. 

06.10.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

More and more roads but little knowledge about their impact on wildlife

Based on a media release by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) Madrid/Leipzig/Halle. In regions with a very dense road network like, for example, Germany, vehicles are probably one of the main threats to all types of wildlife. However, the extent to which this factor affects populations cannot be determined due to a lack of data. This has now been presented by a team of scientists led by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. The analysis of relevant literature revealed that studies are too limited, involving only a few regions and species. By systematically recording roadkills, the scientists see great potential for assessing the risk of extinction to animal species.

13.09.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Pioneering method of assessing rewilding progress applied for the first time

Based on a media release by Rewilding Europe Scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Rewilding Europe have developed a new way of evaluating rewilding progress. Its ground-breaking application across seven of Rewilding Europe’s operational areas has revealed both positive impact and challenges to upscaling. The practical tool can help to inform decision-making and drive rewilding onwards and upwards. The study was recently published in the scientific journal Ecography.