Eco.mont Vol. 1 Nr. 2, pp. 57-60, 2009/11/26
Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management
Switzerland has 89 moorland landscapes of particular beauty and of national significance. They consist of a large number of natural, near-natural and human-made elements, which entirely determine the character of each individual moorland landscape. They are generally perceived as valuable in terms of ecology, history and aesthetics: they provide habitats for endangered species and for human beings, they bear witness to traditional extensive forms of land use, and they are seen as aesthetically valuable for leisure and recreation. Moorland landscapes are the only constitutionally protected landscape type in Switzerland, but, in spite of the widely accepted aim to protect them, they are by no means secure. Conflicting trends, such as the intensification of land use, the abandonment of agricultural land and the growth in outdoor sports, mean that the biodiversity, unique character and variety of some of the remaining moorland landscapes are threatened. They can only be preserved if extensive land use, adapted to the special conditions in moorland landscapes, and associated maintenance measures continue and unsuitable forms of land use and over-use are avoided.
