„Urban lifestyles and the valorisation of biodiversity“
How can cities become more insect-friendly?
The massive decline in insect populations in protected areas in Germany makes it clear that new concepts and protective measures are needed. Recent studies have shown that cities, with their diverse structures, can provide suitable partial replacement habitats for species whose traditional habitats are being lost due to climate change and land-use changes. Flower-visiting insects, in particular, benefit from a diverse range of floral resources and habitat elements. As awareness has grown regarding the importance of insects and the ecosystem services they provide—from which urban populations also benefit—efforts have begun to redesign urban green spaces to be more insect-friendly. However, if cities are to become insect-friendly habitats in the long term, a shift in mindset must also occur among the urban population. This is because, to date, public perception and, in particular, appreciation of insects have been ambivalent.
Using the city of Frankfurt am Main as a case study, the project “SLInBio – Urban Lifestyles and the Valuation of Biodiversity: Dragonflies, Grasshoppers, Bumblebees, and More” investigated, through the end of 2024, how the perception and appreciation of insects among the urban population can be increased and what contribution cities and their residents can make to preserving insect diversity.