Ergebnisse aus Untersuchungen zum Wildtiereinfluss auf die Waldverjüngung in der Schweiz | Results of various studies on the influence of wildlife on forest regeneration in Switzerland

Abstract

Ten years ago the working group “Forest and Wildlife” of the Swiss Forestry Society described the situation at the time regarding forest and game in Switzerland. Since then data collection and evaluation methods for assessing browsing damage, but also forest and wildlife management concepts have evolved. A selection of the many activities in this field are presented in this article, namely the cantonal overviews of Cantons Glarus, Schwyz and Berne, the surveys on browsing intensity on indicator plots in Cantons St. Gallen, Glarus, Zurich, Schwyz and in the Bernese Oberland, as well as the Forest and Wildlife Reports and the Silver Fir Action Program of Canton Grisons. Furthermore the results of the Effor2 pilot program “forest and wildlife” and of the studies on the development of natural regeneration and the behaviour of wild ungulates in areas damaged by storm Lothar are presented, together with results from the 3rd National Forest Inventory.The results show: the proportion of forest area in the cantons with intolerable browsing damage seldom exceeds 25%. Browsing problems are more frequent in game protection areas. According to the 3rd National Forest Inventory browsing intensity has increased in Switzerland, but decreased in the Plateau. A diminution of the browsing intensity is also shown by the the surveys on indicator plots in Cantons St. Gallen, Glarus, Zurich, Schwyz and in the Bernese Oberland. In some regions one has succeeded in avoiding a loss of stem numbers due to browsing, even concerning the particularly vulnerable silver fir. This however remains the exception rather than the rule. This is the reason why Canton Grisons has launched the Silver Fir Action Program.