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The magazine of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

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Zwei Forscher stehen in einem Bauchlauf in Regenkleidung

On the road for the preservation of nature

We work in a network for the conservation of nature: whether in our museums in Bonn and Hamburg or in projects worldwide.

Frank Wischhöfer und Marie Rahn tauschen sich aus

Working together for the big picture

Behind the museum doors in Bonn and Hamburg, we work together in networked teams, also across locations. Different knowledge and skills come together here for the greater good.

Dr. Nicholas Friedman und Doktorandin Veronika Samotskaya, Grigory Evtukh stehen mit Ferngläsern im Wald
Der Berg Kaukasus in Georgien

Between yesterday and tomorrow

Don't we often think that the present is the measure of all things? Our cultivated landscape with rapeseed fields is pure nature? The black-headed duck belongs here? The social phenomenon known as "shifting baseline syndrome" leads us to perceive the present as normal, but a look into the past reveals something else.

Illustration Frosch und Schriftzug

Knowing and understanding species

So far, we know very little about the biodiversity of our planet. According to current estimates, there are eight to ten million species of animals, plants and fungi worldwide. Of these, only around ten per cent have been scientifically described. In Germany, too, thousands of species are still undiscovered - and unnamed.

ausgestellter "Bonner Kantinenstör" im Museum

Hidden stories of our collections

Our collection objects harbour stories ranging from the fascinating to the curious. From the fire damage to the Natural History Museum in Hamburg to the fate of the Bonn "canteen sturgeon", which was the last of its kind to be eaten, we can read from them.

Illustration Weltkugel, Tiger, Schnecke

Globalisation in the animal kingdom

They are travelling as stowaways across continents to spread in foreign habitats. They migrate from south to north as temperatures rise or are traded illegally around the world. We humans influence the lives of many animal species, whether through trade and travelling, changes to habitats or climate change.

Lachse, Nahaufnahme im Wasser

Ecology meets economy

With our high-speed lives, we humans are destroying the very basis of our existence. Nature-based solutions offer an effective lever to counteract the biodiversity and climate crisis at the same time. With scientific expertise, the LIB contributes to concepts for sustainable biodiversity management...

Science in the field

When the aphid spreads, the predator should be at the start. Together with farmers, our researchers are investigating how pest control can work without pesticides and herbicides. It is an exchange of experiences, perspectives and knowledge.

Ein Bagger steht im Steinbruch

Species paradise in the quarry

Our demand for raw materials is constantly increasing. The extraction of gravel, sand, clay and gypsum has complex and often irreparable consequences for local ecosystems. But what is the solution? Stop building? In the GiBBS* project, we think economy and ecology together.

What does nature cost?

Nature provides us with food and raw materials. It regulates the climate and keeps the material cycle running smoothly, including waste utilisation. It provides us with recreational space and entertainment - all seemingly for free. But the bottom line is that our value creation means overuse and destruction of nature.

Blumenbeet mit bunten Wildblumen neben Windrädern
Illustration von kleinen Kindern die einem Dinosaurierskelett herlaufen

Museum on the Move

The institution of the natural history museum is in a state of flux. Collecting, preserving, researching, exhibiting - all that remains. However, the perspective, the methods, the discourse, the management are changing. At the interface between scientific expertise and communication, the research museum of the future will become a negotiating space for dealing with nature.

Zwei Kinder im Korb eines Ballons fliegen über den Dschungel und tragen VR-Brillen

Experience close to nature

Since December 2022, visitors to the Museum Koenig Bonn have been able to immerse themselves in the interrelationships of this unique ecosystem in a rainforest staged close to nature. In addition to a sensory experience, the exhibition invites visitors to take a critical look at their own consumer behaviour.

Frau sitzt vor Laptop und liest ein kleines Heft

The fascination of research

The travelling exhibition "Multifaceted Insects" kicked off at the Museum der Natur Hamburg in 2022. Visitors can gain an insight into research into these endangered, fascinating and ecologically important animals in interactive and vividly presented displays.

The voice of the visitors

Who actually visits our museums and why? And how are our guests' expectations changing in a rapidly evolving society? These are questions that our visitor research has been addressing at the LIB since 2021.

Schreiende Frau

Expedition on the wrong track

Failure is as much a part of science as a failed experiment. Here, our researchers Ralph Peters and Umilaela Arifin take us on the less glorious stages of their research trips.

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