Einfluss freilebender Wiederkäuer auf die Verjüngung des Schweizer Waldes | Influence of Wild-Living Ruminants on the Regeneration of the Swiss Forest

Abstract

Former, mostly authoritative knowledge on the obstruction of forest regeneration through wild-living ruminants is presently replaced by figures from numerous inventories on browsing and juvenile forest in Switzerland. In practice, the percentage of browsing has shown to be an apt indicator of the level of game damage. Thus, a more objective and differentiated picture of the situation can be presented today. On the whole, the game damage to the regeneration of the Swiss forest has not diminished during the past 25 years. However, a certain prosiness has occurred with regard to evaluation. In the Swiss Central Plateau, solutions for these conflicts have been found in the meantime. Within the alpine areas, some particularly serious cases of game damage in the forest were solved by means of problem-oriented killing-off and habitat improvements. Locally, the spread of the lynx has had its positive effects. The regeneration of the fir is a particularly significant problem. In many areas, without technical protective measures the fir has not been able to regenerate itself for decades.