OKliBio

Background

In the cultural landscape, old orchards are hotspots of biodiversity. They provide a habitat for many species that would not otherwise survive. In addition, different fruit varieties carry very different genetic information. This results in a variety of characteristics and processing opportunities. Orchards, whether in the form of meadow orchards or fruit tree alleys, also characterise the landscape. They are therefore part of the regional cultural heritage and make an important contribution to climate protection. Their preservation is therefore essential.

Objectives

The aim of the project "Fruit Landscapes for Climate Protection and Biodiversity" (OKliBio) is to strengthen cross-border cooperation and to promote the exchange of experience in orchard management and fruit processing. The aim is to preserve existing fruit trees in the long term. In addition, new orchard meadows and fruit tree alley should be created in the border region between Saxony and the Czech Republic.

Approach

The first step of the project is to collect knowledge about orchard meadows, fruit tree alleys and fruit varieties on both sides of the border. This knowledge will then be collected, processed and made available to the public on a bilingual platform. At the same time, the geodata of orchard meadows and fruit tree alleys will be recorded.

In a second step, the concept of ecosystem services will be used to analyse the value and benefits of orchards for people and nature.

Finally, the third step is to share knowledge on the creation and maintenance of orchard meadows and fruit tree alleys, and to collect examples of good practice. The economic viability of using fruit in regional supply chains will also be explored.