To bundle scientific and practical knowledge, a research project in conservation biology should involve practitioners from the onset. In GeneMig, practitioners and researchers first identified important topics and species of conservation concern in the context of environmental change. From this, a project of practical relevance will now be developed.

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The project "Monitoring the effectiveness of habitat conservation in Switzerland" has been initiated by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN to study whether habitats of national importance (dry meadows and pastures, bogs and fens, alluvial zones, amphibian spawning areas) are developing according to conservation targets. For this, a long-term monitoring project is established.

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The return of large carnivores such as wolf and lynx in the Alps leads to conflicts with the local population. The goal of this project is to present practical conservation and management options for wolf and lynx in the Alps.

Available languages: German English

Au cours du vingtième siècle, la Suisse s’est réchauffée environ deux fois plus rapidement qu’en moyenne globale. L’augmentation de la température pourrait atteindre 2.0-5.5 °C en Europe occidentale à l’horizon 2100.

Available languages: French

Das Projekt "Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung" untersucht Zusammenhänge zwischen Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung auf Landschaftsebene. Dafür analysieren wir Daten des Schweizer Mittelands im Allgemeinen sowie der Kantone Aargau und Luzern im Speziellen für möglichst verschiedene Organismengruppen und unterschiedliche Aspekte der Biodiversität. Die Resultate werden kartographisch dargestellt und können zur Visualisierung von Szenarien der Landschaftsentwicklung eingesetzt werden.

Available languages: German

Red lists are essential for an objective recording of the threat of species and changes in biodiversity. The accessory study of the revision of the red list of fern and vascular plants aims to evaluate the practicability of using statistical methods as a tool for revisions and quality control of red lists.

Available languages: German English

L'obiettivo del progetto è di investigare la fauna e la flora associata ai vigneti, definire i fattori geografici, ambientali e gestionali che determinano le diverse componenti della biodiversità, valutare l’influenza del paesaggio circostante e infine quantificare il valore ecologico dei vigneti attraverso confronto con altri ambienti naturali.

Available languages: Italian

Grubbing by wild boars incorporates the forest floor into the mineral soil, which could significantly alter forest soil properties (physical, chemical and biological). This could not only affect carbon (C) and nutrient fluxes and stores, but also forest productivity and stand regeneration. The objectives of this study are be to assess how wild boar grubbing effects soil physical (soil bulk density, pH), chemical and biological (microbial biomass, composition) properties in deciduous forest stands as well a how they affect stand regeneration and understory development.

Available languages: English

Climate change is expected to affect the distribution and occurrence of breeding birds of mountain forests. In this study, we assess the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the realised ecological niches of habitat specialists of mountain forests by assessing key structural and vegetational habitat components along a climatic gradient.

Available languages: German English

Do virgin forests harbour more diverse arthropod taxa than managed forests? What taxonomic groups or arthropod species may serve as indicators of natural forest ecosystems? Standardized sampling with flight and pitfall traps is used to compare the species richness of virgin and managed beech forests in Ukraine.

Available languages: English

In this study, we investigated the occurrence and ecology of Armillaria species in the unmanaged, virgin forests of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve in Ukraine. Virgin forests are of interest for researchers because they have preserved their original structure and dynamics.

Available languages: English

Since as early as the 16th century, botanists have been collecting data and recording the flora on summits in the Alps with the purpose of documenting the limits of plant life in association with permanent snowfields and glaciers. How has summit vegetation changed since these early records? Based on new vegetation surveys on 150 peaks and passes, the SLF examines whether and how the climate has shaped high-alpine plant life during the last century.

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Der Kleine Rohrkolben ist eine typische, bedrohte Auenpflanzenart. Dieses Projekt untersucht die Verwandschaftsbeziehungen der noch vorhandenen Populationen in der Schweiz und in unseren Nachbarländern.

Available languages: German

The new WSL research programme Room for People and Nature is examining the future development of intensively exploited regions, and intends to formulate basic principles for managing them in a sustainable way. It is being established and implemented in close collaboration with practitioners.

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As part of the EC-funded project EcoChange and its activities on niche stability, the objective of this study is to investigate genomic processes related to adaptation and ecological niche evolution by comparing the genomes of closely related species along the same environmental gradient.

Available languages: German English

The dispersal of several insect species occurring in fragmented habitats in the agricultural Swiss plateau will be investigated by using genetic methods and mark-recapture studies.

Available languages: German English

Die Klimerwärmung dürfte den Wald auf vielen Standorten unter Stress setzen. Wir untersuchen, ob die genetische Variation der Waldbäume es ihnen erlaubt, sich an den Klimawandel anzupassen. Wir fokussieren dabei auf die drei häufigsten Baumarten in Schweizer Wäldern, die Fichte, die Tanne und die Buche.

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Der eingeschleppte Kastanienrindenkrebs gefährdet die Edelkastanienbestände auf der Alpennordseite. Um diese Bestände zu erhalten, wird im Rahmen dieses Projektes der Kastanienrindenkrebs auf der Alpennordseite mit hypovirulenten Pilzstämmen bekämpft

Available languages: German

The ENHANCE project tests and evaluates ecosystem connectivity with state-of-the art molecular genetic experiments and population-dynamic analysis in terrestrial and riparian habitats, prior and after connectivity is enhanced.

Available languages: German English

Totholz ist Lebensgrundlage für rund einen Viertel aller Organismen im Wald. Die künftig wahrscheinliche Intensivierung der Holzwirtschaft wird viele holzbewohnende Insekten noch stärker gefährden. In diesem Projekt werden in Waldreservaten die Entstehung und der Abbau von Totholz quantifiziert, die Abhängigkeit von Insekten von Totholz untersucht und Mindestwerte für das Totholzangebot abgeleitet.

Available languages: German

Infolge von Landnutzungsänderungen und der Zerschneidung der Landschaft hat sich das räumliche Verbreitungsmuster von Trockenwiesen stark verändert. Aus Sicht des Naturschutzes stellt sich die Frage, inwieweit in einer grossräumig fragmentierten Landschaft ein Austausch von Arten, Individuen und Genen zwischen einzelnen Trockenwiesen überhaupt noch möglich ist.

Available languages: German

A large network of research institutions collaborates within an EC-funded Network of Excellence to study the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems from an evolutionary perspective.

Available languages: English

Alpine plants are prone to be strongly affected by global warming, which will induce a suit of changes at the species and community level. This project aims at better understanding the spatial and temporal patterns and processes of adaptive genetic variation in Arabis alpina

Available languages: English

A forest ecosystem model, extended with an avalanche module, is used to study the feedback between climate change driven ecosystem and land use dynamics.

Available languages: German English

In order to ensure the best performance of a protection forest, species composition and structure should be appropriate for the site. In this project the relationships between soil, climate, topography and forest vegetation are analyzed. From field surveys and model calculations information on distribution and development of the different forest types in Switzerland are obtained in order to estimate which management measures have to be taken in protection forests.

Available languages: German English

In the mire of La Vraconnaz located in the Jura Mountains a bog slide occurred in September 1987 that affected 15 ha on the western part of the mire. The bog slide caused a total change in the hydrological and pedological conditions of the mire thus offering the opportunity to study the vegetation dynamics in relation with the disturbance. One hundred permanent plots were selected in 1988 and sampled at regular intervals. Secondary succession is followed on bare peat. With 20 years vegetation records we are now able to make detailed statements about vegetation succession.

Available languages: English

The co-operation with the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and other partners in Ukraine mainly focus on research in virgin forests. Comparative studies on the structure, dynamics and biodiversity of virgin and managed forests shall contribute to optimizing management strategies for the conservation of forest biodiversity and for a sustainable, close-to-nature use of the forest resources.

Available languages: English

The purpose of the project DNL is to integrate existing national biotope inventories (bogs, flood plains, meadows, etc.) into a database and connect it to further datasources of the FOEN.

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he regression of the distribution area in combination with a population decline is a common phenomenon of threatened wild animal species. Habitat deterioration and fragmentation of the natural or semi-natural landscape by human activities are often mentioned causes.

Available languages: German English

The main goal of the project is to understand the relationship between urban diversity, built environment and the acceptance of the human population, in order to identify initial measures for integrating findings on how to enhance urban biodiversity and the acceptance of the residents into urban development processes.

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Modelle der WSL zeigen, welche Landschaften in der Schweiz besonders artenreich sind und welche Einflussgrössen die Artenvielfalt unterschiedlicher Organismengruppen bestimmen. Die Arbeiten liefern Grundlagen für ein besseres Verständnis und den Schutz von Artenvielfalt auf Landschaftsebene.

Available languages: German

Über mehrere Jahre ist die Wirkung von Lawinen auf die Biodiversität untersucht worden. Die Zerstörungskraft der Lawinen weist für die Natur auch positive Aspekte auf. Sie schafft Standortbedingungen, die einer ganzen Reihe von Pflanzen überhaupt erst das Überleben ermöglichen.

Available languages: German

Querco, in the sense of "quid Quercus, quo vadis?" To study the reaction of 3 local species of oak (each species with 4 provenances) to drought, increasing air temperature and a combination of the two will be the focus of this experiment.

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Stone pines depend on nutcrackers for seed dispersal to favorable microsites, while nutcrackers almost exclusively forage on the pines, caching their seeds for winter food reserves. Genetic parentage analysis on juvenile stone pines germinated from cached nuts, will elucidate how dispersal by nutcrackers affects the spatial genetic structure of future pine populations.

Available languages: German English

Mit molekulargenetischen Methoden wird im Projekt die Naturverjüngung der Schwarzpappel untersucht. Diese Baumart ist typisch für intakte Auenlandschaften, aber wir wissen nicht, ob ihre natürliche Verjüngung in den wenigen verbliebenen oder renaturierten Auen nachhaltig gewährleistet ist.

Available languages: German

Nach dem grossen Waldbrand von Leuk 2003 muss die Brandfläche von den meisten Insekten neu besiedelt werden. Wir untersuchen, wie schnell diese Wiederbesiedlung auf verschiedenen Höhenstufen erfolgt und welche Präferenzen die holzbewohnenden Insekten bei der Besiedlung der abgestorbenen Bäume haben.

Available languages: German Italian

How fast do plant species recolonise the burned soils after forest fires, and which factors facilitate or inhibit tree regeneration? In this project we monitor re-vegetation with respect to vascular plants and mosses along an elevational gradient ranging from 900 to 2100 m asl. Results will be used to derive management strategies in relation to forest fires.

Available languages: German English

Meldungen über einen starken Rückgang gewisser Pilzarten - darunter befinden sich auch Speisepilze wie der Eierschwamm - lassen aufhorchen. Aufgrund der Konvention zur Erhaltung der Biodiversität hat sich die Schweiz verpflichtet, die Artenvielfalt zu erhalten und deren Zustand zu überprüfen. Deshalb erarbeiten Forschende der WSL eine Rote Liste der Grosspilze.

Available languages: German French

Dispersal of individuals (and gene flow) among remnant populations within fragmented landscapes is essential for the long-term survival of endangered species. The goal of this project is to test the effect of habitat connectivity projects for the European Treefrog.

Available languages: German English

Wissenschafter erfassen alle Kastanien des Tessins und des Misox, die einen Brusthöhendurchmesser von mehr als 2.2 Metern aufweisen. Sie analysieren das Verteilungsmuster der Bäume, führen dendrochronologische Studien über Alter und Geschichte durch und sensibilisieren die breite Öffentlichkeit für diese Baumgreisen.

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In the Alps, the multipurpose utilisation of agricultural and forest resources has a long tradition. But domestic animals grazing in forests are considered hindering tree regeneration, reducing timber quality and impairing the protective function of mountain forests. What is the effective impact of forest grazing?

Available languages: German English

Lawinen zerstören nicht nur, sondern sie schaffen auch Lebensraum. Eine Studie zeigt, dass die pflanzliche Biodiversität in Lawinenbahnen gegenüber dem umgebenden Wald stark erhöht ist. Je häufiger Lawinen auftreten, desto deutlicher ist der Unterschied.

Available languages: German

Unser Klima wird wärmer, vor allem im Winter. Die Wintertemperaturen sind in den letzten Jahrzehnten vielerorts doppelt so stark angestiegen wie diejenigen im Sommer. Die Schneeschmelze in den Bergen findet deshalb immer früher statt. Können die Pflanzen den längeren Sommer für Wachstum nutzen? Verändert sich dadurch die Vegetation?

Available languages: German

For centuries agriculture has played a multifunctional role in defining and sustaining mountain biodiversity in Europe through the management of habitats, species and landscapes. The overall aim of this project is to investigate the implications of agricultural restructuring and decline for biodiversity conservation in Europe’s mountain areas.

Available languages: German English

96% of the Swiss population lives within 10 km to a motorway. Scientists develop a monitoring in order to observe the impacts of the increasing traffic on the landscape. The focus lies on the landscape along the national motorways A2 and A13.

Available languages: English

The biodiversity assessment tools project is developing a tool box for assessing the impacts of policies on biodiversity in Europe. In addition the project is measuring the impact of land-use change on biodiversity across Europe's biogeographic regions.

Available languages: English

This project aims at comparing genetic diversity and ecotype differentiation of L. pulmonaria within and among populations (Switzerland and British Columbia), and within and among subpopulations from a highly fragmented population in Switzerland and from a contiguous population in an extended habitat in British Columbia.

Available languages: English

Numerous species of lichen decreased strongly in their distribution in the last century. Some of them even already became extinct. Which lichens are considered as endangered? What is the degree of endangerment? Which biological parameters are important? The Red List has the answer.

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Most types of pasture woodlands in Switzerland suffered a dramatic decline during the last century. This project focuses on the evolution of a type of pasture woodland typical of the Jura mountains: the "pâturages-boisés". They are considered of medieval origin and result, in terms of modern ecology, from a specific disturbance pattern.

Available languages: English

Mit dem Projekt "Monitoring flankierende Massnahmen" (MfM) will der Bund die Auswirkungen des Landesverkehrsabkommens mit der EU überprüfen. Das Teilprojekt "Auswirkungen auf die Natur" des MfM-Umwelt untersucht die Beeinflussung der Biodiversität durch den Transitverkehr. Wie entwickelt sich die Diversität mittel- und langfristig?

Available languages: German

Large-scale grazing systems formed once a significant part of the European landscape. Due to intensification of agriculture, continuous landscapes and habitats formed by extensive grazing diminished and biodiversity declined. It is hypothesized that Co-operative Livestock Systems are appropriate to manage large, continuous landscapes and to reconcile biodiversity conservation and land management for economic gain.

Available languages: English

Red wood ants (Formica rufa-group) are found in many conifer and mixed conifer-hardwoods forests of Europe. While a lot of research concerning red wood ant biology, behavior, and geographical distribution has been conducted in the past, very little information is available regarding their impact on soil processes and soil pool sizes.

Available languages: English

The study revealed high levels of genetic differentiation among regions within the temperate and boreal climate of the Eurasian landmass. Because L. pulmonaria has suffered marked declines in most parts of its distribution area, the analysis of genetic population differentiation remains the only practicable approach to rationalize a regionally differentiating Red List assessment of this widely distributed species.

Available languages: English

Within an EC-funded project, scientists from WSL study possible correlations between intraspecific diversity and species richness or habitat variation. They want to find and explain possible relationships among different levels of plant biodiversity, to elaborate a modelling approach and to establish tools for the design of a network of protected areas.

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Agri-environment schemes play an increasingly important role in European agricultural policy to support biodiversity and environment in agricultural landscapes. This project aims to evaluate the (cost-)effectiveness of agri-environment schemes with respect to biodiversity conservation in five European countries.

Available languages: English

Mitarbeitende der WSL haben ein automatisches Verfahren zur Artzuordnung von Fledermaus-Echoortungsrufen entwickelt. Damit wollen sie in einer Felduntersuchung die Lebensraumansprüche von einheimischen Fledermäusen bioakustisch erheben und die Resultate mit GIS räumlich analysieren.

Available languages: German

Förster, Ökologen und Naturschützer sind mehrheitlich davon überzeugt, dass von allen Lebensraumtypen die grossflächigen Waldgebiete den grössten Beitrag an die Biodiversität leisten. Forschende der WSL testen die Vermutung, dass der Beitrag des Waldes zur genetischen Vielfalt in erster Linie auf dem Vorhandensein von äusseren und inneren Waldrändern beruht.

Available languages: German

Nach den grossen Stürmen Vivian (1990) und Lothar (1999) wurden Untersuchungen begonnen, um die langfristige Entwicklung der Insektenvielfalt auf geräumten und ungeräumten Sturmflächen zu verfolgen. Ein bzw. zwei Jahrzehnte nach den Stürmen werden wieder Felderhebungen durchgeführt.

Available languages: German

Current knowledge on the consequences of wildfire for faunistic biodiversity is fragmentary. The main questions that this project seeks to answer are: What effects do forest fires have on the faunistic biodiversity? Which faunistic taxa are most severely affected?

Available languages: English

Bei Biotopbewertungen sind schon bescheidene gesicherte Aussagen zu zooökologischen Daten mit grossem Aufwand verbunden. Dieses Projekt möchte intensiv genutzte und naturnahe Biotope faunistisch bewerten und Inventurmethoden erarbeiten, die Bewertungskriterien für verschiedenartige Landschaftselemente ermöglichen.

Available languages: German

Naturnahe Lebensräume in der Kulturlandschaft beherbergen eine reichhaltige Fauna. Sie dienen aber auch vielen agroökologisch wichtigen Organismen als Überwinterungs- oder Vermehrungshabitat. Über das räumliche Ausmass der Populationsbewegungen in der Kulturlandschaft ist bisher nur wenig bekannt.

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Im Wallis weisen die Waldföhren seit Jahrzehnten eine erhöhte Sterberate auf. Dafür wächst vermehrt die Flaumeiche. Wissenschafter der WSL haben die komplexen Ursachen des Waldföhrensterbens entschlüsselt.

Available languages: German