HumanNature

Vielfalt zum Niederknien – Pflanzliche Helden zwischen Stein und Asphalt

Cracks in pavement, wall tops, and roadside edges may not seem particularly hospitable at first glance—but a closer look reveals an astonishing diversity of specialized plant species.

This lecture focuses on this often-overlooked form of urban nature and shows how these usually neglected plants—adapted to harsh living conditions and often dismissed as “weeds”—colonize even the tiniest niches while providing significant benefits for us. Based on floristic and ecological studies, the lecture highlights the role these microhabitats play in urban biodiversity, contribute to the connectivity of city ecosystems, and support adaptation to climate change. At the same time, it raises questions about how we deal with order, cleanliness, and “undesired vegetation.”

The lecture invites attendees to sharpen their observation skills and notice urban nature on a small scale. Pavement crack vegetation is understood not as a deficiency, but as an expression of urban diversity and adaptability—and as a starting point for a new appreciation of everyday nature.

The lectures will take place in person at 19:30 in the Grüner Hörsaal, Robert-Mayer-Straße 2. Online participation is also possible via Zoom.

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Botanist Dietmar Brandes has spent his entire career studying the diversity and dynamics of a wide range of natural habitats as well as the spread of non-native species. In particular, he is one of the pioneers of urban ecology, a field he has been engaged with since the 1980s.