Aim

The aim of the project IUMBO is to increase the number of structural elements in intensively used agricultural landscapes like the so called Querfurter Platte. Such landscapes are poor in structural elements like hedges, woods, edges, etc. Increasing the number of elements is a possibility to improve biodiversity.
In particular the key species red kite and hamster shall be protected or resettled in the tested region.

fig: agricultural landscape, poor in structural elements

The farmers of the agricultural enterprise Barnstaedt intend to convert nearly 24 ha of farmland into hedges, wood and groves. Existing interrupted rows of fruit trees will be completed, grass edges applied and a part of the area will be altered into hamster protection stripes.

The method used for multicriteria landscape assessment and optimization will combine biotic, abiotic and aesthetic goal-functions.

The results of the project will be published as a book and a CD-ROM to enable the transfer of the new methods to similar regions.