Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Research 07.08.2026
"Forest fires can put extra stress on trees"
"Forest fires can put extra stress on trees"

Forest ecologist Alessandra Bottero explains why forest fires can increase bark beetle infestation risk and how to prevent mass infestations

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Aerial view: the left-hand half shows burnt forest, the right-hand half shows unburnt forest.
 
Research 30.07.2026
Clean wood from metal-polluted soils?
Clean wood from metal-polluted soils?

The right tree species can stabilise heavy metals in polluted soil while keeping excess pollutants out of their foliage and wood.

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Research 07.07.2026
Why Europe's trees are dying
Why Europe's trees are dying

Deviations from the usual climate are causing trees to die prematurely. Even favourable growing conditions can have a negative impact.

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Aerial view of a dense forest filled with various shades of green trees, including coniferous and deciduous types, with some dead trees in between.
 
Research 02.07.2026
When brown leaves don't mean Autumn
When brown leaves don't mean Autumn

Increasingly, forest trees are changing colour prematurely due to heat waves and extreme droughts. Why this is a problem.

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A young oak plant with a mix of vibrant green and brown leaves, some showing yellow edges. The leaves vary in shape, with some being lobed and others more rounded, set against a background of dry, fallen leaves.
 

Research for people and the environment in a changing world

News

Institutional
16.07.2026
A woman with long, light brown hair and a relaxed expression is looking directly at the camera. She is wearing a black turtleneck sweater. The background is a soft gray color.

Forest professor promoted at EPFL

Charlotte Grossiord is researching how forests fare in the face of climate change. EPFL has now promoted her to associate professor.

Research
16.07.2026
A hummingbird moth hovers near vibrant pink flowers, with green leaves surrounding the blooms. In the background, a blurred building window is visible, adding depth to the scene.

Climate change in cities

A new modelling approach provides a more accurate picture of how climate change will affect biodiversity in cities.

Opinion
15.07.2026

Cities Need a Bee Strategy

In this Carte Blanche, Marco Moretti and Joan Casanelles-Abella call for more effective regulations governing the management of honeybees in cities.

Institutional
13.07.2026

WSL and NTLU Ukraine work together

The long-standing collaboration between NLTU Ukraine and WSL is continuing and yielding new results.

Research
23.06.2026

Graubünden blooms with Flora Raetica

"Flora of Graubünden" will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2032—for the new edition, volunteers and researchers are documenting the local flora.

Research
18.06.2026

Early risk detection for river fish

With the rising frequency of heatwaves, a tool generates heat predictions for river fish in Switzerland for proactive river management

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Events

16 to 21 August 2026

Forests for the future: strategies for carbon sequestration

Join for the interdisciplinary Summer School, which SCENE is organizing together with the TriNational ForestLab, the SwissForestLab and the…

21 August 2026

Science for Policy Workshop in Biodiversity and Beyond

This workshop for Early Career Researchers combines expert perspectives with hands-on methods, including a fishbowl discussion, LEGO®…

23 to 28 August 2026

Summer School 2026: Blue-green biodiversity. Research and practice at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

The WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center is pleased to announce the fourth summer school on blue-green biodiversity.

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