Unknown Germany – An integrative biodiversity discovery program – Nature

Report on the “Unknown Germany” Initiative: An Integrative Program for Biodiversity Discovery in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Comprehensive knowledge of biodiversity, from genetic to ecosystem levels, is fundamental to addressing the global biodiversity crisis and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Significant knowledge gaps persist even in well-explored nations like Germany, impeding effective conservation and sustainable management. In response, the Unknown Germany initiative has been established by a consortium of research institutions. This program integrates taxonomic expertise with advanced technologies to conduct a comprehensive national biodiversity inventory. By consolidating data across diverse organismic groups, the initiative aims to enhance conservation strategies crucial for meeting SDG targets and to serve as a global model for similar biodiversity assessment efforts.

1.0 Introduction: The Global Biodiversity Crisis and the Imperative for Knowledge

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines biodiversity across genetic, taxonomic, and ecological dimensions, linking species to the ecosystem services they provide. This knowledge is critical for achieving global sustainability, yet significant gaps remain. While 2.3 million species are currently cataloged, estimates of total global species richness range from 9 million to several billion, with the majority of microbial life remaining undescribed. This “taxonomic impediment” directly challenges the ability of nations to monitor and protect ecosystems, a core requirement of SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). The slow rate of species description—for instance, an estimated 450 years would be needed to catalog all insect species at the current pace—highlights the urgency for new approaches. This knowledge deficit is not limited to remote regions but is also prevalent in developed countries like Germany, undermining efforts to implement evidence-based policies for sustainable development.

2.0 The Importance of Undocumented Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

2.1 Contribution to Ecosystem Functioning and the SDGs

All species, both known and unknown, contribute to ecosystem functions that are essential for human well-being and the achievement of multiple SDGs. These contributions include:

• Provisioning Services: Supporting food production and pharmaceuticals, directly contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• Regulating Services: Including pollination, decomposition, biological control, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and water regulation, which are vital for SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and SDG 15.
• Supporting Services: Such as soil formation and habitat provision, which form the foundation for resilient ecosystems capable of adapting to global change.

Preserving species-rich communities is therefore crucial for maintaining ecosystem resilience and ensuring the continued delivery of these services in the face of anthropogenic pressures.

2.2 Threats to Biodiversity and Implications for Global Goals

The current rate of biodiversity loss, estimated to be 35 times higher than the natural background rate, poses a direct threat to planetary health and sustainable development. In Germany, a dramatic decline in insect biomass and the poor conservation status of approximately 60% of habitat types underscore this crisis. This loss jeopardizes the nation’s ability to meet its commitments under international frameworks like the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which aims to protect 30% of land and sea areas (the “30 by 30” target) in line with SDG 14 and SDG 15. Without comprehensive biodiversity data, it is impossible to effectively design, manage, and monitor protected areas or to assess the impact of restoration measures.

3.0 State of Biodiversity Knowledge in Germany: A Critical Assessment

3.1 Documented vs. Undocumented Species

Germany’s biodiversity is only partially documented. While vertebrates and vascular plants are well-studied, significant knowledge gaps exist for hyperdiverse and microscopic groups.

• Current inventories list approximately 48,000 animal, 9,500 plant, and 16,000 fungal species.
• It is estimated that 65% of Germany’s fungal species (potentially 48,000 in total) remain undocumented.
• Recent molecular studies suggest that the number of insect species may be over 31,000, with a large portion lacking reference data or being entirely undescribed.

This incomplete picture prevents the creation of comprehensive Red Lists for many taxonomic groups, hindering targeted conservation actions required to meet the targets of SDG 15.

3.2 Underexplored Habitats and Functional Roles

A significant portion of unknown biodiversity resides in cryptic or difficult-to-access habitats, such as soils, aquatic sediments, tree canopies, and subterranean ecosystems. These environments are critical for functions underpinning several SDGs.

• Soil Biodiversity (SDG 2, SDG 15): Soils host the largest fraction of terrestrial biodiversity, yet only 5% is included in Red Lists. Groups like nematodes, Collembola, and Oribatida remain poorly assessed.
• Freshwater and Marine Sediments (SDG 6, SDG 14): The biodiversity of benthic invertebrates, fungi, and protists in rivers, lakes, and marine environments is largely unknown. In the North Sea, for example, an estimated 20% of benthic Copepoda species are new to science.

The lack of knowledge about these organisms and their functional roles is a major barrier to linking biodiversity conservation with the sustainable management of land and water resources.

4.0 The “Unknown Germany” Initiative: A Strategic Framework for Action

To address these critical knowledge gaps, nine German biodiversity research institutions have formed the Unknown Germany initiative. This consortium represents a strategic partnership (SDG 17) that integrates taxonomic expertise, natural history collections, and advanced technologies to create a comprehensive biodiversity inventory. The initiative’s objectives are directly aligned with achieving national and global sustainability targets.

4.1 Core Objectives and Alignment with the SDGs

1. Complete Species Lists: Discover and describe unknown species using high-throughput methods. This is foundational for establishing baselines for SDG 15 targets.
2. Monitor Biodiversity Trends: Map current and historical species distributions to assess changes over time, which is crucial for tracking progress towards SDG 14 and SDG 15.
3. Understand Functional Diversity: Link organisms to their roles in ecosystems, clarifying the connection between biodiversity and services vital for SDG 2, SDG 6, and SDG 13.
4. Develop Standardized Tools: Create open-access digital tools, identification keys, and reference libraries to enhance global capacity for biodiversity research, supporting SDG 17.
5. Promote Information and Training: Develop educational outreach and training programs to foster public understanding and cultivate a new generation of biodiversity experts, contributing to SDG 4 (Quality Education).
6. Transfer Knowledge into Policy and Conservation: Provide data to improve protected area management, inform legislation, and expand Red Lists, directly supporting the implementation of SDG 14 and SDG 15.

4.2 Methodological Approach

The initiative employs a multi-faceted approach that combines traditional and innovative methods to accelerate discovery and data mobilization:

• Advanced Technologies: Utilization of genomics, AI-driven robotics, machine learning for image recognition, and high-throughput sequencing to rapidly sort, identify, and describe species.
• Data Mobilization: Digitization of Germany’s 147 million natural history collection items to provide historical baselines for assessing biodiversity change.
• Citizen Science: Engagement of the public in data collection and digitization through platforms like iNaturalist, enhancing the scale of research and promoting public awareness in line with SDG 4.
• Integrated Data Platforms: Development of a publicly accessible data warehouse to integrate biodiversity data with environmental and geographical metadata, ensuring data is interoperable and available for modeling and conservation planning.

5.0 Summary and Conclusion

The vast number of undescribed species in Germany represents a critical barrier to halting biodiversity loss and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Unknown Germany initiative provides a comprehensive and collaborative framework to overcome this challenge. By integrating deep taxonomic expertise with cutting-edge technologies and public engagement, the program is poised to rapidly advance our understanding of biodiversity from genes to ecosystems. This effort is not merely an academic exercise; it is essential for providing the scientific foundation needed for Germany to meet its commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the SDGs. The initiative’s progress, including the launch of the “TrenDiv” project focusing on hidden taxa, marks a crucial step forward. As a scalable model, Unknown Germany has the potential to guide similar efforts worldwide, underscoring the indispensable role of biodiversity discovery in building a sustainable future.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues of biodiversity loss, scientific research, conservation policy, and education, which directly and indirectly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary goals addressed are those concerning the protection of life on land and in water, but the initiative’s approach also links to goals related to education, innovation, and partnerships.

• SDG 15: Life on Land: This is the most central SDG. The article’s entire focus is on the biodiversity crisis on land and in freshwater ecosystems, the vast number of unknown species, the high extinction rates, and the degradation of habitats in Germany. The “Unknown Germany” initiative is designed to create a comprehensive inventory of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity to improve conservation strategies.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article explicitly extends its concern to marine environments, mentioning the need to inventory biodiversity in the North and Baltic Seas, the underexplored nature of marine sediments, and the EU’s “30 by 30” agenda to protect sea areas.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The initiative emphasizes the importance of public engagement and training. It plans to “develop educational outreach programs to promote public understanding of biodiversity” and “provide integrative training for a new generation of taxonomists,” directly contributing to education for sustainable development.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article highlights the use of “cutting-edge technologies, such as genomics, machine learning, robotics, and ecosystem modeling” to accelerate biodiversity research. The initiative’s objective to develop “standardized tools for biodiversity research” and “AI-based technologies” aligns with enhancing scientific research and technological capabilities.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The “Unknown Germany” initiative is presented as a multi-stakeholder partnership, described as a “consortium of research institutes, natural history museums and collections, and independent experts.” It also integrates “citizen science projects,” demonstrating a partnership between scientific institutions and civil society to achieve common goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific actions, goals, and problems described in the article, several SDG targets can be clearly identified.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.
  • Explanation: The article notes that an “estimated 60% of the country’s 93 habitat types… are currently in inadequate or poor conservation status.” The initiative’s core mission to conduct a “comprehensive biodiversity inventory” is a foundational step for informing conservation and restoration efforts.
• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
  • Explanation: This target is central to the article. It states that “biodiversity is rapidly declining,” with “current extinction rates approximately 35 times higher than the natural background rate.” The initiative aims to expand German Red Lists and provide data to develop “conservation strategies for vulnerable, threatened, or endangered species.”
• Target 15.8: By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species.
  • Explanation: The article emphasizes that “regular large-scale biodiversity assessments are essential for the early detection of invasive species.” It points out that current lists of non-native species in Germany are incomplete, and the initiative’s national surveys would “accelerate early detection efforts.”
• Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.
  • Explanation: A key objective of the initiative is the “transfer [of knowledge] into policy, conservation, and sustainable land use” and to “identify key drivers of biodiversity loss to inform legislation.” This directly supports the integration of biodiversity data into national planning.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
  • Explanation: The article highlights significant knowledge gaps in marine biodiversity, stating that in “marine sediments of the North and Baltic Seas, many species also remain undiscovered” and that a “comprehensive national inventory is still missing.” The initiative aims to fill these gaps to better inform protection strategies.
• Target 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.
  • Explanation: The article refers to the more ambitious “30 by 30” agenda of the European Union. While noting Germany has formally met this target, it questions the effectiveness and placement of these protected areas, stating that “detailed knowledge about biodiversity… is a precondition for an informed assignment and management of protected areas.”

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
  • Explanation: The initiative has a specific objective for “Information and training,” which includes “develop[ing] educational outreach programs to promote public understanding of biodiversity” and “provid[ing] integrative training for a new generation of taxonomists.” The use of “citizen science projects” also contributes to public education and skill acquisition.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… encouraging innovation.
  • Explanation: The article describes a “paradigm shift in modern biodiversity research” driven by “AI-driven robotics, novel image recognition techniques, accessible and cost-efficient high-throughput techniques.” The “Unknown Germany” initiative is built on integrating this innovation to “facilitate a rapid and comprehensive biodiversity inventory.”

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources.
  • Explanation: The initiative itself is a model of this target. It is described as a “consortium of research institutes, natural history museums and collections, and independent experts” that have “joined forces” to share taxonomic expertise and advanced technologies.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly name official SDG indicators, but it mentions several metrics, data types, and assessment tools that function as direct or implied indicators for measuring progress.

Indicators for SDG 15 & 14

• Red List of Threatened Species (Implied Indicator 15.5.1): The article frequently mentions the IUCN Red List and the German Red Lists as key tools for conservation. A stated objective is to “Expand the German Red Lists to include additional taxonomic groups.” The status of species on these lists is a direct measure of extinction risk, aligning with the Red List Index (Indicator 15.5.1).
• Coverage of Protected Areas (Implied Indicator 15.1.2 and 14.5.1): The article discusses the “30 by 30” agenda, which aims to designate 30% of land and sea as protected areas. This percentage is a direct measure of progress. The initiative’s goal to “improve the representation of German biodiversity hotspots within protected areas” implies using data on species distribution to measure the effectiveness of this coverage.
• Number and Distribution of Species (Implied General Biodiversity Indicator): The primary goal of the initiative is to create “complete species lists” and “map current species distributions.” The number of newly discovered species, the completeness of taxonomic inventories, and distribution maps serve as fundamental indicators of the state of biodiversity knowledge, which is essential for all conservation targets.
• Data on Invasive Alien Species (Implied Indicator 15.8.1): The article mentions the “most recent list of established non-native species in Germany” and the need for “regular national biodiversity surveys” for early detection. The number of established invasive species and the rate of new detections can serve as indicators for this target.

Indicators for SDG 4, 9, & 17

• Number of Trained Taxonomists and Public Engagement Metrics (Implied Indicator for Target 4.7): The article highlights the “ongoing decline in taxonomic expertise” and the initiative’s plan for “integrative training for a new generation of taxonomists.” The number of trainees and the reach of “educational outreach programs” and “citizen science projects” (e.g., number of participants, data contributions) are measurable indicators of progress.
• Development of New Technologies and Data Platforms (Implied Indicator for Target 9.5): Progress can be measured by the development and deployment of the tools mentioned, such as “software tools to automate species descriptions,” “complete reference libraries of molecular species markers,” and a “publicly accessible data repository.” The successful creation and use of these innovations would indicate enhanced scientific research capabilities.
• Number of Partner Institutions (Implied Indicator for Target 17.16): The “Unknown Germany” initiative began with “nine German biodiversity research institutions” and explicitly invites “additional institutions and researchers… to join.” The growth in the number of collaborating partners is a clear indicator of the partnership’s success and scale.

Summary Table

Source: nature.com