The interdisciplinary project “BIOM-Garden” uses the platform artengezählt.at to address garden owners and ask for their help.
Vienna (OTS) – The environmental protection organization GLOBAL 2000, together with the Nature Conservation Association, the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, the University of Continuing Education Krems and the Austrian Society for Herpetology, is looking for citizens who will act as citizen scientists to look for amphibians and reptiles in their gardens. Why is this survey so important?
“In Austria there are more than 2 million home gardens with an area of almost 1,850 square kilometers – similar in size to the Hohe Tauern National Park. These gardens can make an important contribution to protecting endangered species. So far we know very little about how many reptiles and amphibians actually live in our home gardens and which factors are particularly conducive to their settlement,” explains Dominik Linhard, biologist at GLOBAL 2000, the framework conditions.
The BIOM Garden Project invites people to look for amphibians and reptiles in their private gardens. These can be reported with a photo, video or audio recording. This is intended to close existing gaps in amphibian and reptile monitoring. A large-scale information campaign will be launched in summer 2024.
Speciescounting.at
For this purpose, a central reporting point for amphibian and reptile finds in the garden has been set up. Via the web app speciescounting.at sightings can be entered into the database in just a few intuitive steps. The contemporary design and ease of use should enable as many interested people as possible to participate.
Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler explains: “Our unique nature and biodiversity are the basis for all life on the planet. We therefore have to take good care of the diversity of species and habitats. In Austria, more than half of the 21 amphibian and 15 reptile species are classified as endangered, critically endangered or threatened with extinction. That is why this inventory is so important, because it is the only way we can know the state of diversity and take the right measures to protect it.”
At the same time, the researching citizens are called upon to provide information about their gardens. Florian Danzinger from the University of Vienna states: “Species diversity is not a purely random product, but depends largely on factors such as habitat structure and intensity of use. The broad collection of citizen science data on garden equipment and biodiversity-promoting structures in gardens allows us to find out which gardens are particularly suitable for amphibians and reptiles. At the same time, awareness should also be raised about how a garden can be made more amphibian and reptile-friendly.”
In addition to the garden descriptions by citizen scientists, the gardens and their surroundings are also analyzed in more detail from the air. “With geodata such as aerial photographs and 3D models of the terrain surface, we can describe the locations of amphibians and reptiles around the gardens in even more detail and thereby identify new potential habitats,” says Anna Iglseder from the Technical University of Vienna.
awareness raising
In addition to the classic data collection, the project is primarily about raising awareness and sensitization. “We want to raise awareness of how important it is to protect these animals. To this end, we want to educate and inspire our citizen scientists with webinars and information events on the topic,” explains Andreas Maletzky, President of the Austrian Society for Herpetology.
The Austrian Nature Conservation Association brings the necessary expertise to the project to activate the population. Managing Director Birgit Mair-Markart explains: “As part of the BIOM Garden project, we collect data specifically in private gardens. With naturbeobachtung.at, the Nature Conservation Association already manages one of the oldest reporting platforms in Austria. Whether it’s newts in a natural pond or lizards on bricks, our community has the experience to make an important contribution.”
Ultimately, all collected data will be processed, evaluated and published in the Austrian Biodiversity Atlas, which is operated by the Biodiversity Hub of the University of Continuing Education Krems. The resulting conclusions will help to better understand the habits of amphibians and reptiles in Austria, and the collected data will also be used as an important basis for updating the Red List.
More info:
Inquiries & Contact:
Marcel Ludwig, GLOBAL 2000 Press Officer, +43 699 142000 20, marcel.ludwig@global2000.at
Dominik Linhard, GLOBAL 2000 biologist, +43 699 142000 21, dominik.linhard@global2000.at
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