Database Report

Monitoring Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland

Ariel Bergamini

GIVD Database ID: EU-CH-011	Last update: 2020-11-09
Monitoring Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland	Web address: https://www.wsl.ch/en/microsites/monitoring-the-effectiveness-of-habitat-conservation-in-switzerland.html
Database manager(s): Ariel Bergamini (ariel.bergamini@wsl.ch)
Owner: Swiss Federal Office for the Envrionement FOEN
Scope: The data of the long-term project "Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland" contains vegetation data from 6648 plots from three main habitat types: dry meadows and pastures (420 sites), bogs and fens (250 sites), alluvial areas (120 sites). All surveyed sites are areas of national importance. The surveyed sites are distributed allover Switzerland from approx. 200 m a.s.l. to 2800 m a.s.l. Between 5 and 40 plots are surveyed at each site. The circular plots have an area of 10 m2 and are marked permanently. On each plot a complete list of all vascular plants is compiled and cover is estimated in classes according to Braun-Blanquet. In bogs and fens bryophytes are also recorded.
Abstract: The long-term project "Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland" was launched in 2011 by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN and Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL. The project aims to determine trends in biodiversity in the habitats of national importance (dry meadows and pastures, alluvial areas, bogs and fens, amphibian breeding sites) which are protected by law. The project will also provide an early-warning system for the federal government and cantons, ensuring that national and regional trends in biodiversity of these objects are detected quickly enough to take the necessary measures in due time. In the framework of that project exhaustive vegetation surveys are conducted. The data collected so far contains vegetation data from 6648 permanently-marked plots from dry meadows and pastures (420 sites), bogs and fens (250 sites), alluvial areas (120 sites).
Availability: according to a specific agreement	Online upload: no	Online search: no
Database format(s): PostgreSQL, Excel, Vegedaz	Export format(s): Excel, CSV file, plain text file
Plot type(s): normal plots	Plot-size range (m²): 10 to 10
Non-overlapping plots: 6648	Estimate of existing plots: 6648	Completeness: 100%	Status: completed and continuing
Total no. of plot observations: 0	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 1	Valid taxa: 0
Countries (%): CH: 100
Formations: Forest: 15% // Non Forest: 84%
Guilds: all vascular plants: 100%; bryophytes (terricolous or aquatic): 30%
Plot size categories (%): 1-10 m2: 100%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 100; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 100
Performance measure(s): presence/absence only: 0%; cover: 100%; number of individuals: 0%; measurements like diameter or height of trees: 0%; biomass: 0%; other: 0%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 100%
Sampling periods: 2010-2019: 100%
Information as of 2026-05-19; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-CH-011

Ariel Bergamini* (ariel.bergamini@wsl.ch)
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, SWITZERLAND
* corresponding author