Abstract Roadsides can provide habitats, refuges and corridors for various plant and insect species. Preserving and enhancing these ecosystems can mitigate biodiversity loss and improve connectivity in fragmented landscapes. Despite growing evidence supporting biodiversity‐friendly management strategies, large‐scale implementation has not been realized. Using semi‐structured interviews, we identified prevalent management strategies, barriers hindering successful implementation and solutions for overcoming these barriers. We interviewed individuals from 26 roadside management projects across Germany and conducted a World Café with 35 participants. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Common management concepts include retrieval of over‐cropped roadsides, introduction of native species or adaptation of management aiming for mowing and biomass removal. Main objectives comprise improving biodiversity, habitat provisioning and connectivity. Three key barriers to successful biodiversity‐friendly roadside management were identified: (a) insufficient stakeholder engagement represented by a perceived low priority of landowners, public resistance to altered landscape aesthetics and a lack of expertise among managers, (b) resource shortages concerning financing, personnel and machinery, (c) the lack of utilization options of roadside biomass, which is considered waste in Germany. Solutions to overcome the barriers include (a) education, public outreach and training for managers, (b) utilizing available resources as effectively as possible, for example by sharing machinery and infrastructure, or innovative funding models and (c) legal changes in waste regulations to allow broader use of roadside biomass for energy production, for example by differentiating regulations by road size. Aligning public engagement, resource optimization and legal frameworks for biomass utilization is necessary to advance the large‐scale implementation of biodiversity‐friendly roadside management that deliver both environmental and economic benefits. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Paikert et al. (2026) studied this question.