Unknown Germany: LIB participates in national biodiversity inventory

Plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms contribute significantly to functioning ecosystems and their benefits for humans. Nevertheless, the actual diversity of species is still largely unknown, even in Germany. To close these knowledge gaps, eight German research institutions, including the LIB, have joined forces in the Unknown Germany initiative. Their goal is to systematically record and describe previously undiscovered species, to better understand their ecological significance and to develop protective measures based on this knowledge.

Every species counts for stable ecosystems

The initiative combines taxonomic expertise, natural history collections and modern technologies such as high-throughput sequencing, artificial intelligence and data integration with the participation of citizen scientists. The aim is to create a comprehensive inventory of Germany's biodiversity, the researchers explain in a study published in the journal npj Biodiversity.

All living creatures – whether we already know them or they still live in hiding – play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide for us. Insects pollinate plants and help to keep pests under control in a natural way. Fungi are indispensable for the nutrient cycle, form close partnerships with numerous vascular plants and are also used in a variety of ways in industry and medicine. Organisms in the soil break down organic material, thereby keeping the nutrient cycle going, storing carbon, regulating water and providing nutrients for the formation of biomass that can be used as food or energy. ‘Despite all these and many other known connections, we still know far too little about the most fundamental question of biodiversity – how many species actually exist on Earth – and have no reliable figures,’ explains lead author of the new study Dr Ricarda Lehmitz from the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz, continuing: ‘While the “Catalogue of Life” currently lists 2.3 million recent species, estimates of global biodiversity range from nearly 9 million to several billion species – if one takes into account that the majority of life consists of microbial species. Even in the Federal Republic of Germany, a country with a long tradition of natural history research, our knowledge gap is enormous.’

Eight research institutions combine their knowledge

Against this backdrop, eight German research institutions – the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change LIB), the Natural History Museum Stuttgart, the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, the Karlsruhe Natural History Museum, the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (ZSM) and the Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research – have joined forces in the Unknown Germany initiative. Their goal is to discover, describe and better understand previously unknown species in Germany, develop appropriate conservation concepts and raise public awareness of this nameless diversity. The consortium brings together research institutes, natural history collections, independent experts and museums with experience in science communication and transfer. "Germany is rich in natural history knowledge and research infrastructure, with over 147 million natural history collection items stored in the Federal Republic. This enormous heritage provides an ideal starting point for showing how the diversity of life can be recorded in a targeted and systematic manner – through a combination of expertise, natural history collections, citizen science projects, modern technologies and educational work," explains Prof. Dr Bernhard Misof, LIB Director General and co-author of the study.

Large knowledge gaps regarding insects, fungi and microorganisms

According to species lists and assessments by Germany's Red List, there are currently around 48,000 animal species, 9,500 plant species and 16,000 fungus species living in Germany. However, according to the research team, these figures do not reflect the full diversity in the 16 federal states. While vertebrates and vascular plants are relatively well documented, there are large gaps in our knowledge of insects and other invertebrates, fungi, bacteria, and single-celled and multicellular organisms. To date, there are neither complete species lists nor Red List assessments for these. Applying the ratio of fungi to plants that is typical for temperate regions – 5:1 – Germany could be home to around 48,000 species of fungi. This means that around 65 per cent of these fungi have not yet been documented. Using metabarcoding data from 75 insect traps set up throughout Germany, researchers were able to identify 10,803 insect species. At the same time, it became apparent that a further 21,043 species either do not yet have a reference barcode or have not yet been described. "Earthworms, beetles and millipedes are quite well known, but although most species of some mite groups and springtails are known, little is known about their population trends and functions. For other mite groups or even nematodes, we are still a long way from having complete species lists,‘ says Lehmitz, adding: ’The unknown diversity becomes even clearer when so-called “cryptic” species are taken into account.

New technologies make the invisible visible

The study also states that far too little is known about the roles of these species in the ecosystem or about their genetic diversity. The Unknown Germany initiative therefore aims to study all life forms – from bacteria and archaea to fungi, protists and plants to small and large animals – in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and at all levels, from the molecular level to entire ecosystems. ‘One example shows that such targeted research is effective: the number of freshwater diatoms recorded in Germany has increased by 46 per cent over the last 20 years, from 1,437 to 2,103 taxa, thanks to intensive taxonomic research,’ says Lehmitz.

The research team emphasises that using conventional methods, it would take centuries to fully record Germany's biodiversity. However, thanks to state-of-the-art technologies such as high-throughput sequencing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data integration and ecosystem modelling, these processes can now be significantly accelerated. Citizen science projects and biodiversity databases also play an important role by supporting experts in their extensive taxonomic, ecological and nature conservation work.

"With the “Unknown Germany” initiative, we are combining modern approaches with sound taxonomic expertise and public participation to enable a comprehensive inventory of biodiversity in the foreseeable future. I am convinced that the discovery of new species of spiders or ants in Germany, for example, will spark interest in biological diversity and attract media attention," says Senckenberg Director General Prof. Dr. Klement Tockner, last author of the study, looking ahead and continuing: ‘The first steps have already been taken: in a joint workshop, existing knowledge gaps were identified, financing options were examined and concrete projects were developed. The discovery, description, functional characterisation and communication of Germany's previously unknown biodiversity is an enormous but necessary task if we want to halt the loss of biological diversity.’