BMU brochure: Federal Defragmentation Programme

Germany is a densely populated industrial nation with a well-developed traffic network. In 2009, the national road network (motorways, federal roads, state roads and district roads) covered a length of 231,072 kilometres.

The fragmentation of habitats by the traffic network and the increase in traffic density has in places led to an isolation and a qualitative deterioration of remaining habitats for fauna and flora. In particular, the barrier effect of roads hampers exchange within and between populations and impairs the colonisation of new habitats, leading to insufficient genetic exchange between species of fauna and flora. The high traffic volume also results in significant animal losses. Loss of areas, intensified use, fragmentation of habitats, river development and drainage measures have been having serious negative consequences for nature for decades. Climate change is an additional stress factor.