Biodiversity conservation in protective forests

Project Description

Objective

The project examines how old-growth forest structures, such as large habitat trees and dead wood, can be maintained or restored in protective forests while still ensuring their protective effect. By using environmental DNA, acoustic monitoring, and 3D forest modelling, we will assess how biodiversity and protective functions interact across different forest types and management regimes. In doing so, the project seeks to identify conditions under which forests can provide both protection against natural hazards for people and habitats for species.

Relevance

Protective forests make up almost half of Switzerland’s forest area, and in the mountains, they cover more than 80%. They are managed according to national guidelines to reduce risks from avalanches, landslides, and rockfalls. Yet this management often limits early and late forest development stages, which provide habitats for many species. By addressing this trade-off, the project aims to ensure that protective forests sustain and promote species diversity and strengthen ecological resilience in a changing climate.

Transdisciplinary Approach

In this project, researchers work closely with forest managers, national organisations (such as SBB and FOEN), cantonal services, and the Swiss Mountain Forest management Group. In a joint effort, the project team co-produces knowledge and practical recommendations that integrate biodiversity-friendly measures into protective forest management without compromising their protective function against natural hazards.

The results will inform national protective forest guidelines (NaiS), support infrastructure managers, and provide actionable strategies for forest owners and cantonal authorities. By fostering biodiversity-rich protective forests, the project strengthens ecological resilience, reduces reliance on costly technical measures, and contributes to global conservation goals.