A refuge for flora and fauna - biotopes are important habitats, not only for rare plant and animal species. Here you can find out how a biotope works and how you can design it yourself in the garden or in the room.

Biotopes provide habitat for a large number of animals

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What is a biotope?
  3. Create a biotope in the garden
  4. Create a mini biotope in the glass
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • different definitions of "biotope", scientifically a definable habitat for certain plants and animals
    • colloquially a refuge for rare species
    • Biotopes can be created in the garden, even on the balcony or terrace
    • create a biotope for the desk, an eternal bottle biotope in screw-top or clip-on glasses
    • Differentiation of different biotope types

    What is a biotope? definition and explanation

    A biotope is literally a "place for life"

    In biology, the term "biotope" refers to a specific, definable habitat within a larger area for plants and animals. The word is composed of the components "bios" for life and "topos" for place, both of which come from the Greek language. A biotope is always populated because an area only becomes a biotope through its inhabitants.

    In addition to the scientific, the term has another colloquial meaning. The word is also used for a small, newly created landscape area (e.g. in the garden) that serves as a habitat for rare animal and plant species. Under the heading "We create a biotope", not only children in school are taught how to create a small garden pond with wet fallow land for frogs and other amphibians. In this context, "biotope" means the habitat of endangered species - and not all animal and plant species living there.

    What is the difference between biotope, biocenosis and ecosystem?

    This distinction is easy to explain:

    • biotope: means a specific habitat for animals and plants
    • biocenosis: is the community of organisms living in the biotope

    There is no biotope without a biocenosis, both are inextricably linked. Together they form an ecosystem.

    Examples of biotopes in nature

    Within landscape management and nature conservation, biotopes are assigned to different biotope types, which occur naturally in nature as well as being created artificially by humans. Examples of biotopes are:

    • wetland: Habitats such as moors and swamps, reed beds, mud flats and lagoons (on the coasts)
    • open-air biotope: Various meadows, for example dry and wet meadows, meadow orchards, salt marshes, flower meadows
    • forest biotope: alluvial forest, swamp forest, coniferous forest, swamp forest
    • water biotope: Differentiation between still water (ponds, ponds, ponds, lakes) and flowing water (streams, rivers and river banks)
    • desert biotope: different desert landscapes, for example sandy, stone, gravel or rocky deserts, salt or ice deserts

    Legally protected biotopes

    Moore are under protection in Germany

    According to § 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG), the following natural biotopes are under legal protection and must not be impaired:

    • inland waters along with their shore areas, silting up areas, flood plains, oxbow lakes and vegetation
    • wetlands such as bogs, swamps, wet meadows, headwaters, reed beds and inland salt marshes
    • Inland dunes, heaps and heaths such as scree, rubble and block heaps, loess and loam walls, juniper, broom and dwarf shrub heaths, heavy metal grass, mat grass and dry grass, forests and bushes in dry, warm locations
    • forests, especially floodplain, swamp and swamp forests, scree, boulder heaps and ravine forests
    • rocky landscapes such as alpine lawns, crooked wood bushes, small snow valleys and open rock formations
    • coastal biotopes such as steep and rocky coasts, beach ridges and coastal dunes, beach lakes, tidal flats and salt marshes, Bodden waters with silting up areas, seagrass meadows, sandbanks, reefs, shingle, coarse sand and gravel areas

    In the past, it was primarily individual biotopes that were protected. However, this approach has proven to be of little help in terms of species protection, since most animal and plant species are mobile and also need exchange with other populations of their kind - keyword gene exchange and genetic impoverishment.

    However, since large-scale biotopes cannot be maintained due to the constraints of economic land use and settlement, the individual biotopes are connected with one another by various measures. This includes, for example, planting strips of bushes on fields for birds or building fish ladders so that aquatic animals can reach their spawning grounds. These biotope networks are also built within settlements (e.g. a green strip between two lanes, toad tunnels) in order to make areas of human life livable and traversable for animals and plants.

    digression

    That is why the protection of natural biotopes is so important

    Some see the protection of or a certain biotope critically, because these could be used for agriculture or building. The pressure - above all the economic pressure - to farm seemingly useless areas is great, especially since the costs of maintaining some biotopes are high.

    However, the preservation of habitats not only serves to protect animals and plants, but ultimately also us humans. The inevitable ensuing extinction of species also has dramatic effects on us, which is why we urgently invest in landscape and nature conservation and the urban sprawl ( for example by proclaiming more and more new building areas for homes).

    Create a biotope in the garden

    A garden pond creates a habitat for water-loving animals

    Due to the decline in natural habitats due to intensive agriculture and urban sprawl, the creation of biotopes in the garden is all the more important. This is generally understood to mean the construction of a garden pond, but the following habitats must not be neglected either:

    • garden pond: Minimum depth 60 centimetres, different zones (shallow water with stones, deep water), water and bank plants, habitat for frogs, newts and dragonflies, also drinking troughs for bees and other insects, drinking troughs and bathing opportunities for birds
    • deadwood: rotten tree stumps and trunks, dead wood hedge ("Benjeshecke"), habitat for wild bees, beetles, nesting and hiding places for birds, hedgehogs and other species
    • Heaps of leaves and brushwood: Heaps of autumn leaves and prunings, valuable wintering quarters for hedgehogs, caterpillars, insects and mice
    • cairns and dry stone walls: Heaps of large stones, roof tiles or building rubble, dry stone walls in sunny locations, suitable planting (e.g. cynomolgus, stonecrop), habitat for wild bees, spiders and other insects, lizards
    • Open sandy areas: just leave a sandy area free and without planting, home and nursery for ground-nesting bee species such as e.g. B. sand or furrow bee
    • nettle corner: putative weeds such as stinging nettles, trefoil or wild carrot are valuable forage plants for many butterfly caterpillars, which is why small corners in the garden with wild plants should be left

    Simply by piling up a pile of dead wood or erecting a Benjes hedge and a small "weed corner" you create important retreat areas for many animals in the garden. Add a small garden pond and the natural garden is complete.

    In order for frogs, newts, hedgehogs, dragonflies and Co. to feel comfortable with you, you should definitely avoid using toxic chemicals. These primarily include plant protection products such as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, but also artificial fertilizers. In addition, gardens that are close to nature (and therefore ecologically valuable) are not cleaned up very accurately

    Garden pond - a valuable biotope for newts, frogs and co.

    Creating a garden pond is basically very simple: you only have to dig a hole, seal it, put water and a few plants in it and you're done. The frogs and dragonflies will find themselves in the new wet biotope in no time at all. In order for the wet biotope in the garden to be a success, you should still follow a few tips.

    location flat surface if possible, sunny and warm, two to three hours of shade a day
    shore area no abrupt end, but if possible swamp area or wet meadow, suitable bushes (willow, buckthorn)
    pond depth at least three water depths, at least 60 centimeters deep in the center, gradually leveling off near the shore
    planting Water lilies in the middle, native aquatic plants in the other areas
    transitions / gradients no more than 50 percent, gentle and flowing, otherwise no earth can hold on

    Before creating the garden pond, think carefully about the shape it should have and where the various shore areas will ultimately be located. Mark these and dig the hole accordingly. Then seal it so that the water stays in the garden pond and does not seep into the ground. You have three options here:

    • volume: natural material, layers of clay should be at least 30 centimeters thick and tamped well
    • concrete: practically indestructible, very durable and long-lasting, but also difficult to remove, thickness should be at least 20 centimeters, stabilization with wire mesh necessary
    • foil: very easy to shape and lay, inexpensive - but made of plastic, preferably products made of plasticizer-free and more environmentally friendly polyethylene

    You can also simply install a prefabricated hard plastic pond, which is quick and easy to do. However, ready-made pond bowls in large sizes cost several thousand euros, which is why you can get away with a different solution and invest the money saved in beautiful pond and bank planting. However, if the garden pond is to be small, ready-made hard bowls are an uncomplicated choice.

    Now you can start planting. Tip: If you have pond owners in the neighborhood, ask about offshoots of aquatic plants. Hornleaf, rushes, sea cans, duckweed and Co. grow very proliferate, which is why many a pond owner is happy to get rid of one or the other plant.

    If there is no space for a large garden pond - mini pond in the tub

    If you only have a small garden or do not want a large pond on your property - for example because you have small children - you can create a small biotope with a mini pond. All you need is a vessel, such as an old (bath) tub, a barrel or something similar. You can dig this in and fill it with a few aquatic and bank plants, and the tiny insect paradise is done.

    Benjeshecke - How to create a deadwood hedge

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    A deadwood or Benje hedge consists of loosely stacked branches and twigs that are fastened between stakes in the ground. The whole scaffolding forms a stable wall, which can also be used very well as a property boundary and / or privacy screen. Deadwood hedges are anything but dead, because over time they develop a multifaceted life of their own. For example, they offer many animals such as hedgehogs, dormouse, blackbirds and other birds (wren, robins), sand lizards and common toads a welcome shelter in summer and winter.

    In addition, living plants soon grow through the approach of plant seeds or through your plantings, which turn the dead wall into a living hedge. When planting the Benjes hedge, you should pay attention to the following points:

    • choose a sunny, warm and quiet location
    • Soil should not be overly rich in nutrients
    • otherwise stinging nettles and other proliferating plants will settle there
    • no pruning of strongly dominant trees, e.g. B. blackberries use
    • use hardwoods (beech, oak, fruit tree cuttings) instead
    • stack them loosely between parallel piles dug into the ground
    • large branches down, finer clippings up
    • Weave in posts if possible
    • Plant slow-growing shrubs as an accompaniment

    Colorful meadow instead of green lawn

    Colorful meadows provide a home for numerous insects

    In most gardens there is a more or less large lawn. Did you know that lawns are basically nothing more than a green wasteland? For insects such as bees, butterflies and beetles, the blades of grass are worthless because they do not provide any food. On the other hand, it is better to sow in a colorful wildflower meadow - this not only makes much less work than a lawn, but also looks beautiful and offers many microorganisms a valuable habitat.

    Creating a flower meadow is very easy:

    • prepare ground: Remove turf, loosen soil and enrich it with sand, wildflowers need a rather poor soil
    • sow seeds: apply the finished wildflower mixture to the prepared area, plan about five to ten grams of seed per square meter of meadow, then rake in and secure with a roller or board, keep moist for at least four weeks
    • maintenance of the meadow: mow twice a year, late June and late August

    When choosing flowers, give preference to native species, as the hungry insects can do better with them. Particularly recommended are:

    • Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
    • Daisy (Bellis perennis)
    • Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
    • Hollow Corydalis (Corydalis cava)
    • Horn clover (Lotus corniculatus)
    • Corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
    • Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
    • Crawling Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
    • Catchfly (Silene noctiflora)
    • Campion (Silene latifolia)
    • Marguerite (Leucanthemum vulgare and ircutianum)
    • Bump Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
    • Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
    • Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)
    • Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)
    • Meadow bellflower (Centaurea jacea)
    • Meadow sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
    • Meadow scabious (Knautia arvensis)
    • Wild cardoon (Dipsacus fullonum)
    • Wild carrot (Daucus carota)

    Wildflower meadows should be sown in June at the latest. So that bees, bumblebees and the like can find enough flowers in spring, plant additional flower bulbs, such as wild garlic (Allium ursinum), wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), yellow wood anemone (Anemone ranunculoides), hollow larch spur (Corydalis cava) and winter agaric (Eranthis). hyemalis).

    Biotope on the balcony - how does it work?

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    You don't need a large garden to create a biotope for bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other insects - a small balcony is enough. Here you have many opportunities to make the humming folk comfortable and provide food. And that's how it works:

    • Choose summer flowers and climbing plants that are rich in nectar and pollen
    • Herbs such as sage, lavender, lemon balm or thyme are particularly popular with people and animals
    • Nasturtium is very suitable for the balcony and is a great source of nectar
    • Butterfly bushes (Buddleja) can also be kept in the bucket
    • Provide hatching opportunities for wild bees
    • don't worry, these species are solitary (i.e. alone) and don't care about humans
    • Take a thick piece of oak or beech wood and drill blind-ended holes that are three to eight millimeters wide
    • other wild bee species prefer clay-filled perforated bricks
    • Create a mini pond

    Incidentally, many songbirds like to breed on balconies if they have the opportunity to do so. Provide the animals with a place to feed in winter (e.g. in a bird feeder), but make sure that pigeons, crows and other large birds do not have access to it - this is forbidden. Maybe one or two squirrels will come along looking for food. In spring you can offer a nesting box (€49.85) and see if there is a resident.

    digression

    Carefully select plants for a biotope

    Furthermore, it is important not to over-cultivated plants, since these - such as hybrid tea roses with double flowers - have no value for bees and other insects. Instead, choose flowers, perennials and shrubs with an ecological added value because they provide nectar and pollen for insects and fruit for birds.In particular, umbelliferous plants and native flowering shrubs are of great importance.

    Create a mini biotope in the glass

    A mini biotope in a glass is quite easy to make yourself

    An eternal glass or bottle biotope is - optimally - a self-contained ecological cycle that does not require any maintenance. Everything that the plants need comes back to them here - evaporated water condenses and thus creates a small water cycle, and the nutrients are also retained. And this is how you create the mini garden for the desk:

    • a large swing-top or screw-on glass made of clear glass
    • Capacity at least two or three liters
    • Plant granules or small pebbles as drainage
    • suitable plants such as blueberries or cranberries, heather or small ferns
    • Soil from where the plants grow
    • Decorative elements (e.g. a pretty stone, a small branch)

    It is now important that all ingredients are free of mold. Otherwise, the everlasting garden will quickly begin to grow moldy. Therefore, you should disinfect both the glass and stones and soil before filling, for example by boiling or heating. How to plant the glass:

    1. Fill in a drainage layer about two centimeters thick
    2. then the layer of earth about four to five centimeters thick
    3. make small wells in the ground
    4. Insert plants with the help of tweezers
    5. press well
    6. Insert decorative elements such as pieces of moss, stones and twigs
    7. do not touch the glass wall
    8. Water the bottle garden
    9. close the lid

    Now place the mini biotope in a bright but not directly sunny place. Ideally, the inside of the glass should be fogged up by condensation in the morning, but dry throughout the day. If the glass walls are wet all day, open the lid for a few days and let the excess water evaporate.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are nature reserve and biotope the same?

    No, nature reserves and legally protected biotopes refer to two different types of protected areas, even if they usually overlap. Protected biotopes are often located in a nature reserve, as is the case in the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park or in the Wadden Sea National Park. As a rule, nature reserves are larger than the biotopes, which are rather small in terms of area.

    tips

    Incidentally, a biotope can be created not only in screw-top jars or bottles, but also in an aquarium. Here you can create a real small ecosystem.

Category:

Garden design