Science Picnic to Celebrate the Year of Biodiversity
Opening event to be held in the Botanic Garden Berlin on May 22
Experience biodiversity first-hand and find out more about the exciting projects being carried out by our researchers and experts at the official launch event for Freie Universität’s Year of Biodiversity! Starting at noon on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, everyone is warmly invited to join us for a science picnic in the Botanic Garden Berlin. This free event, hosted in and around the Main Tropical Greenhouse, will feature talks from specialists about their research and how they are working to promote biodiversity. There will also be a range of tours on offer throughout the Botanic Garden and information stands presenting the green initiatives currently taking place at Freie Universität. Bring a picnic blanket and join us in celebrating biological diversity!
The meeting point for all tours is the upper outdoor terrace of the Victoria House.
Places on the tours are limited, so please sign up in good time. Sign-up lists will be available at the meeting point.
There is so much to discover and see at the Botanic Garden for people of all language backgrounds! But please note that most organized events will be held in German.
Time and Location
- May 22, 2024, starting at noon
- Main Tropical Greenhouse, Botanic Garden Berlin,
Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195 Berlin - Admission: free
Events held in English
14:30 Uhr: Inside physical reality devices – der etwas andere Gartenspaziergang
Physical Reality Devices
Image Credit: Martti Kaartinen
Guided tour with Lena Gätjens. The audio walk is in German and English.
Physical Reality Devices ist eine Serie von anfassbaren Sehobjekten, in denen der gewohnte Blickwinkel der* Benutzer*in durch Spiegel umgelenkt wird. Bei einem Spaziergang durch den Botanischen Garten erleben die Teilnehmer*innen mit den Physical Reality Devices neue und spezifische Blickwinkel auf die natürliche Umgebung, die dabei mit Hörstücken verflochten werden. Dauer: ca. 20min.
14:40 Uhr: Promoting ecosystems: The benefits of biodiversity
Oksana Buzhdygan
Image Credit: privat
Presentation from Oksana Buzhdygan, AG Tietjen (Theoretische Ökologie)
We all rely on the ecosystems around us. These in turn depend on the interactions of plants and animals with each other and with their environment. For example, by feeding and recycling the consumed food, organisms provide important ecosystem services to human society - such as pest control, pollination, carbon storage, and food production. In her talk, Ecologist Oksana Buzhdygan will discuss how biodiversity influences the amount and extent of ecosystem functions and services.
16:40 Uhr: The plant Tree of Life
Konstantina Koutroumpa
Image Credit: BO Berlin
Presentation from Konstantina Koutroumpa, Forschungsgruppe Asterales am Botanischen Garten Berlin
Plant research, vital for biodiversity conservation, is pivotal in diversity hotspots such as the Mediterranean. Konstantina Koutroumpa, postdoctoral researcher at the Botanic Garden Berlin, shows how big data (morphological and genomic) and advanced methods can enhance our understanding of plant evolution and classification in the ever-growing plant Tree of Life. She gives insights into her research on Centaurea (knapweeds), Greece's most species-rich plant group, for which she is proposing an improved system to classify its diversity.
17:40 Uhr: The "SLOSS-debate" or how to do it right
Felix May
Image Credit: privat
Presentation from Felix May, AG Tietjen (Theoretische Ökologie)
What is better for biodiversity - protection of a Single Large or Several Small areas? This "SLOSS problem" has fueled a lively debate for more than 50 years. In the talk, ecologist Felix May presents ideas how we can move from simple either/or answers to understanding of when and why certain conservation strategies are better than others.