Landscape indicators from ecological area sampling in Germany

Up to now there is a great lack of statistically reliable information on biodiversity and its changes in the landscape of Germany on a national level. Research was required to develop appropriate methods for monitoring biodiversity. The ecological area sampling (EAS) is such a new statistical approach to provide indicators on the state and the development of landscapes, ecosystems and species. EAS does not focus on protected areas, biotopes of high value or rare species but on "normal landscape". It was designed in a way similar to the British Countyside Survey by the German Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with support of private companies. Data collection in sample units is done by field survey after a previous interpretation of satellite images and aerial photographs. Detailed analysis of these primary data as well as the computation of main biodiversity indicators which are representative for the whole of Germany fill a great gap from a national point of view. The results are broken down by land classes; the accuracy is quantified by the standard error. EAS was tested successfully in a pilot study in 1995/1996 in a restricted test area.