Biological richness of a large urban cemetery in Berlin. Results of a multi-taxon approach

By

Buchholz, Sascha
Blick, Theo.
Hannig, Karsten
Kowarik, Ingo
Lemke, Andreas
Otte, Volker
Scharon, Jens
Schönhofer, Axel Ludwig, 1976-
Teige, Tobias
Lippe, Moritz von der 1972-
Seitz, Birgit

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2016-3-8

Original Publication

Biodiversity data journal

Volume

4

Pages

1--30

Subjects

Bats , Berlin , Birds , bryophytes carabids , graveyard , harvestmen , Lichens , Plants , Spiders , urban cemetery

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers [2013]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7057

 

Abstract

Urban green spaces can harbor a considerable species richness of plants and animals. A few studies on single species groups indicate important habitat functions of cemeteries, but this land use type is clearly understudied compared to parks. Such data are important as they (i) illustrate habitat functions of a specific, but ubiquitous urban land-use type and (ii) may serve as a basis for management approaches.<br> We sampled different groups of plants and animals in the Weißensee Jewish Cemetery in Berlin (WJC) which is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. With a total of 608 species of plants and animals, this first multi-taxon survey revealed a considerable biological richness in the WJC. In all, 363 wild-growing vascular plant, 72 lichen and 26 bryophyte taxa were recorded. The sampling also yielded 34 bird and 5 bat species as well as 39 ground beetle, 5 harvestman and 64 spider species. Some species are new records for Berlin.