Selection

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Population of representative bird species in different main habitats and landscape types
Year Value Units
1990 136.263 2030 = 100
1991 127.755 2030 = 100
1992 119.916 2030 = 100
1993 126.218 2030 = 100
1994 126.751 2030 = 100
1995 113.45 2030 = 100
1996 119.46 2030 = 100
1997 108.517 2030 = 100
1998 102.154 2030 = 100
1999 108.982 2030 = 100
2000 101.831 2030 = 100
2001 99.816 2030 = 100
2002 93.221 2030 = 100
2003 89.021 2030 = 100
2004 92.82 2030 = 100
2005 91.002 2030 = 100
2006 86.532 2030 = 100
2007 87.294 2030 = 100
2008 88.442 2030 = 100
2009 82.514 2030 = 100
2010 79.533 2030 = 100
2011 77.341 2030 = 100
2012 80.342 2030 = 100
2013 76.917 2030 = 100
2014 75.893 2030 = 100
2015 79.976 2030 = 100
2016 79.954 2030 = 100
2017 75.555 2030 = 100
2018 73.664 2030 = 100
2019 75.343 2030 = 100
2030 2030 = 100

This table includes additional information to the above visualized indicators, i.e. a short definition of this indicator and a description of the politically determined target values as well as explaining the political intention behind selecting this indicator.

Definition

The indicator shows the population development for 51 selected bird species in the form of an index.
Target and intention

Having a wide variety of animal and plant species is a fundamental prerequisite for a healthy natural environment and an important foundation for human life. To preserve biodiversity and simultaneously safeguard quality of life for humans, the provisional goal of the Federal Government is an index value of 100 by 2030 – a target that was originally meant to be achieved by 2015. This target value is currently being reviewed as part of a research project and may be amended in future on the basis of new findings.
Data status

The data published in the indicator report 2022 is as of 31 October 2022. The data shown on this platform was last updated in September 2024, so that more current data may be available online than published in the indicator report 2022.

Text from the Indicator Report 2022 

Other species besides birds rely on landscapes with intact, sustainably used habitats, which means that the indicator also indirectly reflects the development of many other species in the landscape and the sustainability of land use.

The calculations for this indicator are based on changes in the populations of 51 bird species, which together represent the most important types of landscape and habitat in Germany: ten species each for the sub-indicators farmland, settlements, inland waters, and coasts and seas, as well as eleven species for forests. The Alpine landscape is not currently taken into account, because of uncertainty of data.

The population size of each species is calculated annually from the results of bird-monitoring programmes by the Federation of German Avifaunists in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and is expressed in relation to the target population size. The target value for each species is defined by a panel of experts – initially for 2015. The historical values for 1970 and 1975 are reconstructed.

Each sub-indicator represents the arithmetic mean of the degrees of success achieved across the 10 or 11 selected avian species. The overall indicator is derived from a weighted summation of the sub-indicators. The weighting relates to the proportion of German territory which each main habitat or landscape type covers. On a provisional basis, the target values for the sub-indicators and the overall indicator have been applied unchanged to the 2030 target year.

In 1990, the indicator for biodiversity and landscape quality was significantly lower than the reconstructed values for 1970 and 1975. The indicator value stagnated over the last ten reporting years (2006-2016), reaching 70.5 % of the target value in 2016 compared with 70.2 % in 2006. If this trend continues, the goal for 2030 will not be achieved.

During the same period, however, the sub-indicators for the various types of habitat did not follow uniform trajectories. The farmland and coasts and seas sub-indicators fell during the last ten reporting years, to 60.5 % and 58.0 % of their target values in 2016 respectively. The equivalent values in 2006 were 68.0 % for farmland and 63.2 % for coasts and seas.

In contrast, the forest, settlement and inland-waters sub-indicators moved in a positive direction over the last ten reporting years. The forest sub-indicator reached 87.5 % of its target value in 2016, compared with 78.6 % in 2006. The settlement sub-indicator rose from 65.1 % in 2006 to 75.5 % in 2016. The figure for inland waters was 75.0 % of the target value in 2016, compared with 63.1 % in 2006.

The synoptic table provides information about the evaluation of the indicator in previous years. It shows if the weather symbol assigned to an indicator was rather stable or volatile in the past years. (Evaluation of the Indicator Report 2022 )

Indicator

15.1 Biodiversity and landscape quality
Target

Reach the index value of 100 by 2030
Year

2013

2014

2015

2016
Evaluation <p>Blitz</p> <p>Blitz</p> <p>Wolke</p> <p>Wolke</p>