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


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Sascha
S
Buchholz
Callistus - Gemeinschaft für Zoologische & Ökologische Untersuchungen, 95503 Hummeltal, Germany; Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Theo
T
Blick
Bismarckstr. 5, 45731 Waltrop, Germany.
Karsten
K
Hannig
Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Ingo
I
Kowarik
Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Andreas
A
Lemke
Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, 02826 Görlitz, Germany.
Volker
V
Otte
NABU Berlin, 13187 Berlin, Germany.
Jens
J
Scharon
Deptartment of Evolutionary Biology, University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Axel
A
Schönhofer
NABU Berlin, 13187 Berlin, Germany.
Tobias
T
Teige
Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Moritz
M
von der Lippe
Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Birgit
B
Seitz
Berlin; bats; birds; bryophytes carabids; graveyard; harvestmen; lichens; plants; spiders; urban cemetery