The State Association for Bird Protection asks nature conservationists to help assess compensation areas.
The LBV local groups in Dorfen and Fraunberg are also relying on this project.
Village
hedges are not planted, biotopes are improperly maintained, areas are intensively used as grassland or corn fields - the nature lovers from the State Association for Bird Protection (LBV) observe with horror at officially reported compensation areas. According to a press release by the LBV, insects and insects, birds and other wild animals are left behind. They need the species-rich biotopes as cover, nesting place and natural food supply. Therefore, the LBV asks citizens to help uncover such grievances. There is the AuFi, an app that anyone can install on a smartphone or tablet.
"Obviously, implementation and violations are in most cases only insufficiently or not at all checked due to a lack of control obligations," writes LBV chairman Franz Leutner after a coordination meeting of the LBV local groups Dorfen and Fraunberg.
How important a correct implementation of these measures prescribed by the nature conservation authorities is, “every attentive nature lover will have recognized over the last few years from the state of our bird life.
Almost half of the population of our breeding birds has collapsed, ”explains Leutner.
Compensation areas are intended as a high-quality replacement to make up for the unavoidable loss of habitats due to construction work - for example species-rich wet or dry meadows, hedges, ponds or wooded fields.
"If all compensation areas were actually designed as required by law, our domestic bird life would have a few fewer problems," says Leutner.
Such oases could be “vital stepping stones in the biotope network of our often intensively used landscape”.
However, scientific work and studies by the State Association for Bird Protection show randomly that in Bavaria the prescribed measures are inadequately implemented or not implemented at all on around 75 percent of the areas.
Last summer, there were hardly any birds such as graycatchers, redstart, pied flycatchers or red-backed red-backed birds, which mainly feed on insects, to be seen in villages.
"Even larks are a rarity," observed Leutner.
The bird feeder is often still busy.
"For grain-eaters such as titmice, sparrows and finches, however, the additional food available is now vital."
Against the background of this development, the boards of the two LBV local groups have dealt with the compensation area finder "AuFi".
The LBV started this project in 2020.
With an app, anyone who wants to get involved can easily find compensation areas and related information and, after viewing, add their own observations.
The aim is to provide an overview of the condition of the areas for a well-founded argumentation. After checking by the association, the reported information will be published anonymously in AuFi. All conservationists are invited to participate.
According to Leutner, a similar problem can be identified with the green regulations in the municipal building permits.
As a rule, owners are given detailed instructions on native tree species and shrubs for planting.
“Nevertheless, when walking through new development areas in Dorfen and other communities, shrubs such as cherry laurel and other exotic ornamental plants that are often worthless for our insect and bird world cannot be overlooked,” writes the LBV local chairman.
"Here we bird conservationists can only appeal to those responsible for building to take the green regulations seriously." Sometimes good neighborly advice helps to make the gardens a useful habitat for our birds and to preserve them.
Information about AuFi:
www.lbv.de/naturschutz/standpunkte/ausgleichsflaechen/aufi/
