Botanical gardens shine at BioBlitz 2025: biodiversity in focus

Botanical gardens shine at BioBlitz 2025: biodiversity in focus

On August 11, 2025, an important day for the botanical gardens in German-speaking countries, the BioBlitz took place, a project to explore the biodiversity in these facilities. With a total of more than 30 participating gardens from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the event shows how important botanical research and the documentation of biodiversity are. The Botanical Garden of the University of Ulm takes an impressive fourth place, behind the gardens in Graz, Berlin and Bonn, which underlines its relevance in botanical research uni-ulm.de reported.

A total of 1,114 species were documented as part of the BioBlitz in June 2025, which illustrates the importance of the event for science. The data was collected using the app iNaturalist, which allows participants to photograph animals, plants and other organisms and share their observations online. Leon Wischenbarth, a biology student, was named the overall winner. He discovered over 1,400 species and thus showed extraordinary powers of discovery and commitment: he spent an average of three hours a day in the various habitats of the garden. Among his discoveries were rare species such as the redstart with offspring and the red short-legged springtail. An unexpected sighting was a red fox in the morning.

Participation and competitions

The event took place during Botanic Gardens Week, June 14-22, 2025. Anyone who enjoys nature and would like to take photographs was invited to take part. The app offers an easy way to register for free and actively participate in the documentation. In addition to recording species, various competitions were also announced in which prizes were awarded in several categories. These included, among other things, the most active observer and the greatest photo, which were decided by a jury of association representatives. A book prize awaits the winners, which further fueled interest in participation verband-botanischer-gaerten.de reported.

The patronage of the event was Dr. Mark Benecke, a renowned criminal biologist. He brings not only his scientific expertise, but also a strong commitment to conservation, and has been recognized for his support of the campaign.

Global challenges for botanical gardens

However, the role of botanical gardens is not limited to local surveys. An international study involving the University of Bonn Botanical Gardens has revealed worrying results about global plant diversity. Around 40 percent of global plant diversity is considered endangered, and these gardens are crucial players in the field of species conservation. The study, recently published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, examines data from 1.9 million records from 50 scientific gardens worldwide. These gardens cover more than 40 percent of global plant species, such as botgart.uni-bonn.de determines.

But the botanical gardens also face challenges. Restrictions since the 1990s have reduced opportunities to reassemble collections. Access to new plant material from nature is difficult, which endangers the preservation of existing collections. Particularly problematic is the fact that living plants only live for about 15 years on average, which requires regular replacement. A significant 38 percent decrease in non-native plants since 1993 comes against the backdrop of increased international biodiversity regulations.

Another problem is poor documentation and knowledge sharing, which prevents botanical gardens from managing their collections effectively. Dr. Cornelia Löhne, scientific director of the Botanical Gardens in Bonn, emphasizes the need to create a global network of living collections. Transparent documentation of each collection is crucial to enable the exchange of plant material and promote research.

Overall, it is clear that botanical gardens are not only places for recreation and education, but also key players in the global effort to preserve and promote biodiversity. Their commitment to events like BioBlitz and their important role in scientific research are essential to mastering the challenges of the future.