Editing Biotope (section)

==Germany==
It is especially characteristic in Germany, which is the birthplace of the term biotope, that the authorities take the initiative in conserving biotopes, maintaining consistency with urban or rural planning and considering the regions' history and landscape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/zsj/news/znews200501/zn200501.html#2 |title=生物科学ニュース１月号Z版 |access-date=2007-01-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209103645/http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/zsj/news/znews200501/zn200501.html#2 |archive-date=2007-12-09 }} Atsushi.I.(2005)</ref>

===Legal basis===
Since 1976, the federal nature protection law, ''[[Bundesnaturschutzgesetz]]'' (BNUM), requires that wild animals and plants and their community should be protected as part of the ecosystem in the specific diversity that has grown naturally and historically, and their biotope and other living conditions should be protected, preserved, developed, and restored. (Number 9, Clause 1, Article 2). The law also requires that some kinds of biotope that are full of a specific variety should not be harmed by development. So there is a law that mandates the protection of biotopes. There is also a provincial law corresponding to the federal one. Such developments were uncommon in those times.

===Landscape plan===
Many German states are obliged by law to produce a landscape plan (''[[Landschaftsplan]]'') as part of their urban planning, though these plans vary somewhat from place to place. The purpose of the ''Landschaftsplan'' is to protect the region's environment and landscape. These plans use text and figures to describe the present environmental state and proposed remedies. They consider, for example, the regional lie of the land, climate, wind direction, soil, ground water, type of biotope, distribution of animals and plants, inhabitants' welfare and competition with development projects.

===Citizen welfare===
Biotope preservation in cities also emphasises recreation and relaxation for citizens and improving the urban environment. For example, in the reserve of [[Karlsruhe]] in [[Baden-Württemberg]] people can cycle on the bike path or walk the dog, although it is forbidden to gather plants and animals there or walk in the exclusion zone. At the core of biotope preservation is the idea that if civic life is surrounded by a rich profusion of nature whose background is in local history and culture, it is improved by protecting nature and preserving the landscape.