Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Research 23.10.2026
Bison strip the bark off valuable hardwood trees
Bison strip the bark off valuable hardwood trees

WSL researchers have investigated the impact of bison on forest trees within their enclosure – with surprising results.

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A bison is standing in a meadow, with bare trees in the background.
 
Research 20.10.2026
Daily weather data point to faster glacier loss
Daily weather data point to faster glacier loss

Daily weather data suggest that the glaciers are shrinking faster than previously thought, according to a study by ETH and WSL.

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Institutional 07.10.2026
WSL at the UN Biodiversity Conference
WSL at the UN Biodiversity Conference

This October, five WSL scientists will attend the UN Biodiversity Conference in Armenia.

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A cityscape with residential buildings in the background and a grassy hill in the foreground, set against a blue sky.
 
Research 15.09.2026
Blatten reconstructed using seismic data
Blatten reconstructed using seismic data

Using earthquake sensors, a research team has reconstructed the Blatten rock and ice avalanche. This is meant to help analyze such events.

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The photo shows an aerial view of the rock and ice avalanche in Blatten, with snow-capped peaks.
 

Research for people and the environment in a changing world

News

Services and products
23.10.2026

A concise guide to avalanches and prevention

Now available. For training, freeriding and ski touring. Handy and to the point. The ninth edition of the SLF leaflet. Order here.

Research
16.10.2026

Wild birds rewrite rules for travel

The largest study of flight costs in the wild finds riding the air can make flying cheaper than swimming, overturning a textbook ranking.

Research
12.10.2026

New leafhopper could spread Grapevine disease

The cicada Jikradia olitoria is a potential vector of golden yellow leaf yellowing. Its presence has now been confirmed in Ticino.

Research
01.10.2026
A view from inside an ice cave with smooth, bluish ice walls and rocks on the floor

Swiss glaciers lose a further five per cent of their volume

Draught and a winter with little snow led to another devastating year for the glaciers, as shown by the GLAMOS network.

Research
24.09.2026
Aerial view of a dense forest filled with various shades of green trees, including coniferous and deciduous types, with some dead trees in between.

The state of Switzerland’s forests in 2026

The 2026 Sanasilva survey shows a significant deterioration in the crown condition of deciduous trees. Read more in the Sanasilva Bulletin.

Institutional
17.09.2026

ERC award for participatory forest research

Katalin Csilléry is awarded the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award 2026 for her project “MyGardenOfTrees".

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Events

3 November 2026

ORD ETH Measure 2 Outreach Event

As the Open Research Data (ORD) Program reaches its conclusion, join the research community for a full day of knowledge sharing, networking,…

6 November 2026

Fachtagung Wildbäche

Ziel der Fachtagung ist es, den Erfahrungs- und Wissensaustausch sowie die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Forschung und Praxis im Bereich Wildbäche…

19 November 2026

Forum für Wissen: Schutzgebiete der Schweiz – Trends, Herausforderungen, Perspektiven

Beim Forum für Wissen kommen aktuelle Forschung, Praxis und strategische Planung zusammen. Wir werfen einen Blick auf Trends in Schweizer…

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