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Review
. 2025 Nov 5;4(1):41.
doi: 10.1038/s44185-025-00108-3.

Unknown Germany - An integrative biodiversity discovery program

Ricarda Lehmitz  1   2 , Karin Hohberg  3   4 , Martin Husemann  5 , Ralph S Peters  6 , Nicole Scheunemann  3 , Miklós Bálint  7   8 , Michael Balke  9 , Judith Bieberich  5 , Iliana Bista  7 , Thomas Borsch  10 , Sarah J Bourlat  6 , Rainer W Bussmann  5 , Ulrike Damm  3 , Lara-Sophie Dey  11 , Cecilia G Flocco  12 , Hans-Peter Grossart  13   14 , Peter Haase  15   16 , Hubert Höfer  5 , Valentyna Krashevska  7 , Lars Krogmann  17 , Robert Lücking  10 , Pedro Martinez Arbizu  18 , Rudolf Meier  19   20 , Ximo Mengual  6 , Nancy F Mercado-Salas  21 , Jenna M Moore  21 , Michael C Orr  17 , Volker Otte  3 , Jörg Overmann  12   22 , Steffen U Pauls  7   8 , Ricardo J Pereira  17   23 , Joris Peters  9 , Anton Potapov  3   4 , Christian Printzen  7 , Florian Raub  5 , Michael J Raupach  9 , Vera Rduch  6 , Alice Retter  13 , Björn M von Reumont  5 , Sven Rossel  18 , Rüdiger M Schmelz, Thomas Schmitt  11   24 , Markus Scholler  5 , Eckart Stolle  6 , Marco Thines  7   25 , Cristina Vasilita  17   26 , Thomas Wesener  6 , Reza Zahiri  5 , Andrey Zaitsev  3 , Jonas Zimmermann  10 , Dagmara Żyła  21 , Bernhard Misof  6 , Klement Tockner  7   25
Affiliations
Review

Unknown Germany - An integrative biodiversity discovery program

Ricarda Lehmitz et al. NPJ Biodivers. .

Abstract

Biodiversity knowledge, from genes to ecosystems, is crucial for addressing the biodiversity crisis. However, even in well-explored countries like Germany, much biodiversity remains unknown. Therefore, several research institutions are joining forces to conduct a comprehensive biodiversity inventory, combining broad taxonomic expertise with advanced technologies. By consolidating data across many organismic groups, the Unknown Germany initiative will significantly enhance conservation strategies and may serve as a model for similar efforts worldwide.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Approaches for recording the unknown biodiversity from genes to ecosystems in the Unknown Germany initiative.
A combination of recent and well-established methods, grounded in broad taxonomic expertise, will be employed in the “Unknown Germany” initiative to uncover and describe unknown biodiversity, from the past to future predictions.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Objectives of the Unknown Germany initiative.
The Unknown Germany initiative will discover and monitor biodiversity and its functions, accompanied by the development of new research tools and taxonomic training. The gained understanding of biodiversity change will be translated into practical recommendations for policy makers and conservation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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