40 percent of species endangered: Thuringia's diversity is threatened

The Red Lists are updated every ten years and are intended to provide information on the population of native animals, plants and fungi and their endangerment.

A balance sheet.

Erfurt - Amphibians, reptiles and bats are particularly endangered in Thuringia.

In total, 40 percent of all around 17,000 recorded species in the Free State are considered endangered or already extinct.

This emerges from the new Red List for Thuringia, which the Environment Ministry presented in Erfurt on Friday.

In 2011 it was 41.1 percent.

The number of endangered species has thus only decreased minimally in a ten-year comparison.

The Red Lists are updated every ten years.

The population of native groups of animals, plants and fungi as well as biotopes is to be recorded and their endangerment status assessed.

Around 100 authors classified the almost 17,000 species in 44 lists.

"We still have no reason to sit back," said Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Greens).

Although there is a “very slight improvement” in comparison, the extinction of species remains at a high level.

The small improvement shows that "some of the measures that the state government in Thuringia has initiated are taking effect," said the chairman of Nabu Thuringia, Martin Schmidt.

However, this should not hide the fact that even more efforts are needed.

According to the minister in Thuringia, nature conservation measures have also shown initial successes.

According to experts, the rivers in the Free State are demonstrably doing better.

Modern farming methods and climate change have made it harder for species in fields, for example.

In addition to ever more intensive management methods in agriculture and forestry, “a completely excessive road construction policy” is also responsible for the ongoing loss of species in Thuringia, said the state manager of the Bund Thuringia, Burkhard Vogel.

Pesticides and nitrogen surpluses would have to be reduced and organic farming and regional value chains made more attractive.

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If you look at individual species or areas, you can see positive developments.

For example, there is a noticeable recovery in river types.

The fish bleak, brook lamprey and the western group could be removed from the red lists.

Some species that were thought to be lost - such as the speedwell wasp bee - reappeared.

dpa