Nature protection and biodiversity - National Responses (Switzerland)

Two major monitoring systems exist for biodiversity in Switzerland: the Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (BDM) and the Swiss Landscape Monitoring Programme (LABES). Both aim at identifying the key biodiversity trends so that effective measures can be taken to conserve and promote biodiversity.

In addition, action plans for priority species and the federal inventories for protection of certain habitat types are the main pillars of Swiss biodiversity policy, accompanied by conservation schemes such as the national agricultural subsidies programme, compensation measures for construction projects, reglementation on the use of exotic organisms, etc.

Currently the first biodiversity strategy is being elaborated. This aims to promote the understanding and conservation of biodiversity within the Swiss political system and society.

One of the main points is the sustainable use of natural resources, mainly of biodiversity across the whole territory. What this means is described here for the case of forests:

Over 20 000 species are dependent upon forests for their habitat. Three measures are planned to improve environmental quality: close-to-nature silviculture will be adopted as standard practice everywhere; a representative area of forest (in forest nature reserves and isolated stands of mature timber) will be left entirely to natural succession; and in areas known as special forest reserves, specific interventions will be practised to upgrade the habitats of priority species.

References:

FOEN 2009: Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), The state of biodiversity in Switzerland. Overview of the findings of Biodiversity MonitoringSwitzerland (BDM) as of May 2009. State of the Environment 11/09, Berne, 2009.

http://www.bafu.admin.ch/umwelt/status/03968/index.html?lang=en

http://www.bafu.admin.ch/umwelt/status/03987/index.html?lang=en