Biodiversity
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. Think of different plants, animals, and microorganisms. The richer the biodiversity, the healthier the environment. That is why we are committed to increasing biodiversity in our municipality.
The importance of biodiversity
Biodiversity ensures clean air, fresh water, good soil quality, and crop pollination. So it's very important! Like this:
- Plants convert solar energy into energy and nutrients for other life forms.
- bacteria and microorganisms improve soil quality;
- Pollinators (such as bees) are crucial for plants and therefore for our food.
What if biodiversity declines?
The disappearance of a single species can have a chain reaction in the food chain. This can ultimately have major consequences for humans. Current biodiversity is under pressure and threatens to decline further. Threats to biodiversity include:
- deforestation or construction;
- climate change;
- pollution;
- endangered animals and plants, but also the arrival of animals or plants that do not originally occur here (we call these exotic species). Examples include the American crayfish and Japanese knotweed.
What can we do to protect and restore biodiversity?
Together with various local (nature) organizations, we are committed to promoting biodiversity. Our biodiversity plan outlines how we intend to achieve this. It will be adopted by the council in 2024.
Residents can also easily contribute to greater biodiversity themselves. Consider simple steps such as:
- removing tiles for greenery
- placing a planter on the balcony
- leave leaves in the garden
All of these contribute to a biodiverse environment. Together, we can protect and restore biodiversity. You can find more tips on our webpage'Tips for a nature- and water-friendly garden' and the website 'Will you join us in making a change?' from the Rijk van Maas & Waal.
