Biodiversity

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

The biodiversity is an essential natural resource for the everyday life of people. Food, wood for the heating, the energy, pharmaceutical (effects of certain plants on the health), fertilization of the ground, protection against erosion, absorption of CO2,... are natural processes which are spontaneously operated by biodiversity.

Regrettably, we decrease biological variety. The majority of the services returned by nature are over-exploited and degraded by man.

Numerous sorts are put in danger by human activities and have to face the threats of global warming, the invasion of exotic sorts, the destruction of forests, the overexploitation of the stocks of fish, pollution...

Biodiversity in the city

In the city biodiversity is rich as well! The City of Brussels and its 230 parks and public gardens and green spaces (Bois de la Cambre, Parcs de Bruxelles, Leopold, Meudon to Neder-over-Heembeek, Maximilien in the North, Osseghem to the Heysel, the Square Ambiorix, Meeus) shelter a wealth of biological variety. Furthermore, the 200 streets and avenues have more than a thousand trees of 80 different sorts.

In Brussels Region, about 48 sorts of mammals, 100 sorts of birds and 12 sorts of amphibians and native reptiles are identified. But at least a third of these sorts is mainly threatened by the degradation and fragmentation of its housing environment.

Councils

To contribute to the protection of the biodiversity, you can:

• Privilege native plants in the garden
• Give up weed-killers or chemical pesticides
• Respect the regulations in parks and green spaces (stay on paths for pedestrians, respect the cleanliness)
• Participate in the embellishment of the City by putting plant tubs on balconies, by installing ivy on the facade,... Every year, the City of Brussels organizes a competition of flower arranging. The competition 'Decorate Brussels with flowers' is open to all private individuals and shopkeepers.
• Make a roof with plants if the slope of your roof allows it

Links

• How to act in everyday life, in your house or your garden, to protect the biodiversity: www.bombylius.be.
• A natural and friendly garden. 100 advice to respect the environment and to facilitate the biodiversity, www.ibgebim.be: private individuals, biodiversity, publications.
• The small guide of the Brussels garden (available on simple demand at the service Eco-Advice of the City).