Lila's BioArea CH by Lila Siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1 Biodiversity in Switzerland en-us 2019-02-04 09:14:06 UTC 2023-02-05 07:54:04 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Brightnessdown.png 3.3.1: Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation: the case of peatlands and marshes in Switzerland lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327200604 Over the past 200 years, nearly 90% of Switzerland's marshes have been destroyed. The cause was the drying up of the environment and human exploitation to recover peat, used instead of wood to heat houses and make soil until the 1970s. Since then, the trees have been drying up the soil and gaining ground.

In 1987, the "Popular Initiative for the Protection of Marshes" was widely approved by voters. The protection of marshes has therefore been incorporated into the Federal Constitution.

The remaining 551 high marshes are classified as nationally significant and fully protected.

When they are intact, the high marshes do not require any maintenance. However, many of them have been damaged by previous uses and require regeneration measures, like drainage channels are blocked to retain rainwater.
(https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themes/biodiversite/info-specialistes/mesures-de-conservation-de-la-biodiversite/infrastructure-ecologique/biotopes-d_importance-nationale/marais.html)

The survival of many species depends on this humid, acidic and hot microclimate. First of all, plants such as cotton grass, recognizable by its small white cottony feathers, and drosera, a small carnivorous plant (see in 2.3.3 - Ecological niche). Many insects, such as dragonflies and amphibians, depend on this wetland for their reproduction.

Today, 85% of the surface area of Swiss marshes is under threat, mainly due to rapid urbanization. Nitrogen pollution of air and water due to road traffic and agricultural fertilizers also deteriorates the fragile balance of the marshes.
(https://www.rts.ch/info/sciences-tech/9673708-la-biodiversite-en-danger-en-suisse-une-crise-plus-grave-que-celle-du-rechauffement-climatique-.html#chap02)

The black dots on the map below show the distribution of peatlands in Switzerland today. ]]> 2019-02-04 09:17:19 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327200604 3.3.5: Signs of climate change in Switzerland lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327200867 Switzerland is very sensitive to changes in the global climate. Global warming in the Alpine region is twice as high as the global average.

Average annual temperatures in Switzerland have risen by 1.8° C since 1864 - compared to 0.85°C worldwide. The consequences are already visible. Glaciers are melting (in less than 40 years, their surface area has been reduced by nearly 30%) and by 2100, forecasts estimate a higher snow limit of 500 to 700 metres.

The retreat of glaciers and the warming of the permafrost increase the frequency and importance of landslides and debris flows. The fauna and flora are in danger: alpine species are giving way to meridional species.

(https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/suisse-sera-particulierement-touchee-rechauffement-climatique)

Below, two pictures of the Aletsch glacier illustrating global warming, the one on the left in 1900 and the one on the right in 2005. ]]> 2019-02-04 09:18:14 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327200867 3.3.4: Invasions of alien species in Switzerland during the last decade lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327201120 Increasing globalization is resulting in increased trade, transport and tourism, leading to an unprecedented uniformity of biodiversity through the movement of living organisms beyond their natural borders.

Invasive alien species can displace native species and generate human health problems and economic losses.

A Swiss report has identified more than 800 non-indigenous species established in the country.

Among these species, we can mention: 
  • Anoplophora glabripennis
  • Dryocosmus kuriphilus 
  • Aedes albopictus
  • Neogobius melanostomus

  • Reynoutria japonica

  • Heracleum mantegazzianum

  • Ambrosia artemisiifolia


(https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themes/biodiversite/info-specialistes/mesures-de-conservation-de-la-biodiversite/protection-et-conservation-des-especes/especes-exotiques-envahissantes.html)
]]> 2019-02-04 09:19:08 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327201120 3.3.3: Species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species appear in Switzerland lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327201721 Red Lists are recognised scientific registers which outline the level of vulnerability of endangered species. To halt the loss of biodiversity, it is essential to know the status of as many species as possible, whether plants, animals or fungi.

Below, the proportion of threatened plant, animal and fungal species in Switzerland (status in 2010).
(https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themes/biodiversite/etat/biodiversite---programmes-de-surveillance/listes-rouges.html)

]]> 2019-02-04 09:21:12 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327201721 3.3.2: Wildlife overexploitation in Switzerland lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327202125 Cypripedium calceolus is an indigenous orchid. It has a complex and slow ecology. Indeed, this plant only starts to flower after six to ten years and can live for more than twenty years. In addition, the fruiting rate is low (20-30%).

Because of its beauty, it was far too often picked to be transplanted into gardens (which often resulted in the death of the plant).

There are probably other reasons for the decline of this species, but illegal harvesting does not help conservation plans.
(https://www.infoflora.ch/fr/assets/content/documents/fiches_pratiques_fr/cypr_calc_f.pdf)]]> 2019-02-04 09:22:39 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327202125 lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327262235 Some examples of threatened species in Switzerland.
(https://lepus.unine.ch/carto/)
(https://www.iucnredlist.org/)]]> 2019-02-04 12:53:52 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327262235 2.3.5: Relationship of organisms in ecosystems lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327741091 The soil food web is the key to fertile soil. Plants are the producers — they use the sun’s energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into plant material via photosynthesis. The primary consumers or decomposers, mainly fungi and bacteria, digest fallen leaves and other organic matter. Secondary consumers, such as mites and protozoa, feed on the fungi and bacteria and release nutrients that can be absorbed directly by plants, while undigested remains become part of the soil’s organic matter. Higher level consumers, such as earthworms and ants, feed on the secondary consumers. Their fecal pellets become part of the soil, as well, and they release nutrients that spur plant growth.
(https://landscapeforlife.org/soil/support-the-soil-food-web/)

]]> 2019-02-05 13:23:16 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327741091 2.3.4: Niche partitioning lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327741730 A multitude of pests attack cabbage. Mostly insect larvae that bite it from all sides. Here are some of these predators:

Delia radicum
A fly that lays eggs at the base of the plants. The larvae then feed on the roots.

Pieris brassicae
The butterfly lays these yellow eggs on the leaves of cabbage (or other brassicas). The caterpillars, once out of their eggs, feed on the leaves. 

These two herbivores feed on the same plant (here cabbage). But they do not eat the same part of the plant. Pieris brassicae the aerial parts and Delia radicum the underground parts. There's a spatial difference between their two niches.
(Wikipedia.com and personal work)]]> 2019-02-05 13:24:19 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327741730 2.3.3: Ecological niche lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327742033 Ranunculus glacialis
This plant can lived in a very hight elevation (near 4000 m above the sea). It is well adapted to live in mobile scree near glaciers.
Its stems and roots are flexible and elongated, allowing it to resist stretching and shearing. Its shoots manage to slip between the blocks and return to the surface of the scree block after being buried by a movement of the substrate.
(https://www.infoflora.ch/fr/)

Drosera rotundifolia
It's a carnivorous plant found in peat bog. This plant is particularly well adapted to oligotrophic environments.
It finds nutrients it needs in the insects it catches on these leaves.
(https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dros%C3%A9ra_%C3%A0_feuilles_rondes)]]> 2019-02-05 13:24:55 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327742033 2.3.2: Parasitic organisms lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327742431 Lancet liver fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum)
The ground snail is the first intermediate host of the lancet liver fluke, the ant the second. Animals can be affected by eating herbs to which infested ants have clung. it is present worldwide and is also common in Switzerland.
(https://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/fr/home/tiere/tierseuchen/uebersicht-seuchen/alle-tierseuchen/leberegel-dikrozoeliose-fasziolose.html)]]> 2019-02-05 13:25:37 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327742431 2.3.1: Predator-prey relation lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327742803 Predators and prey are partners in an ecological relationship. Their mutual natural selection favours the survival of the most skilled hunter, on the predator's side, and that of the individual most skilled to escape from his enemy, on the prey's side.

Lynx - Roe deer
The main prey of the lynx in Switzerland is roe deer and chamois. It takes one ungulate per week for the lynx to be full.
(http://www.wild.uzh.ch/lynx/f/f_re.htm)

Bats - Moths
Bats rely on ultrasonic echolocation, or sonar, to find prey, allowing them to catch victims with ease in the dark. But scientists have found that some species of moths can emit ultrasonic sound that jam the sonar of the bats, confusing them and meaning they miss their target at the last second.
 It is one aspect of an evolutionary competition that has been going on for millions of years, with bats and moths developing new adaptations to outmanoeuvre each other.
(http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/evolutionary-war-between-moths-bats.html)
]]> 2019-02-05 13:26:19 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327742803 2.1: Grey Wolves in the Yellostone National Park lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327743120 The decision to reintroduce grey wolves into the Yellowstone National Park is because the increased elk population was overgrazing the deciduous, woody species such as aspen and cottonwood. 
Wolves as super-predators help to regulate this population and restores balance in this ecosystem. ]]> 2019-02-05 13:26:57 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327743120 1.3.4: Natural habitats in Switzerland lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327743560 Switzerland offers a large number of diverse environments, but almost half of them are at risk. Wet, dry and nutrient-poor environments are particularly at risk. The ecological quality of most environments continues to decline. The same applies to biotopes of national importance, which are protected.

Today in Switzerland there are more than 230 types of natural environments (such as the downy oak forest or the steppe grass).
Here is the link with the ranking of the different Swiss environments. There are also a book (picture below).
https://www.infoflora.ch/fr/milieux/typoch/classification.html

Many natural environments now exist only as residuals. The ecological quality of most environments is insufficient and continues to deteriorate.
(https://www.bafu.admin.ch)]]> 2019-02-05 13:27:49 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327743560 1.3.3: Endemic species lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327744038 At least 45,000 listed species live in Switzerland, of which nearly 40 only exist in Switzerland (endemic). These species have limited distribution areas, often in favourable alpine or karst site. There are moslty very rare.
(https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themes/biodiversite/info-specialistes/etat-de-la-biodiversite-en-suisse/etat-de-la-diversite-des-especes-en-suisse.html)

There are some exemples below and the liste of endemics species in Switzerland:]]> 2019-02-05 13:28:40 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327744038 Artemisia nivalis lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327744365 Family: Asteraceae
Environment: High altitude calcschist scree
IUCN Status: Endangered
(https://www.infoflora.ch/fr/flore/artemisia-nivalis.html)]]> 2019-02-05 13:29:17 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327744365 Endemic specie: Pulmonaria helvetica lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327744746 Familly: Boraginaceae
Environments: Hardwood forest, bushes
IUCN Status: Potentially threatened
(https://www.infoflora.ch/fr/flore/pulmonaria-helvetica.html)]]> 2019-02-05 13:29:56 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327744746 Graziana quadrifoglia lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327745139 A rare mollusc that lives south of the Alpes
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
(https://lepus.unine.ch/carto/index.php?nuesp=8010&rivieres=on&lacs=on&hillsh=on&year=1990)]]> 2019-02-05 13:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327745139 1.3.2 : Biodiversity lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327745692 Switzerland has a hight level of biological diversity, resulting from: 
  • a varied topography
  • significant altitude differences with their climatic contrasts
  • extensive use of cultivated land, until the middle of last century
  • its location in the heart of Europe
(https://www.bafu.admin.ch)

The state of biodiversity
The state of biodiversity in Switzerland is unsatisfactory. Half of the natural environments and a third of the species are threatened. The decline in species diversity has also led to a decline in genetic diversity. Losses continue to affect all three levels of biodiversity.
(https://www.bafu.admin.ch)

The causes of biodiversity loss
The current causes of this significant loss of biodiversity are diverse. The main ones are the loss and degradation of habitat quality. Climate change, the spread of invasive alien species, tourism and the increasing use of resources also affect biodiversity, most often in a negative way. In addition, habitat fragmentation contributes to biodiversity loss. The expansion of construction areas, the intensification of agriculture, pollution and overexploitation of resources are responsible for this.
]]> 2019-02-05 13:31:44 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327745692 1.3.1: Switzerland in general lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327746942 Switzerand is a small contry in the middle of Europe, divided in three parts: the Alps (occupy the greater part of the territory), the Swiss Plateau and the Jura.  

The population is about 8 million and is most found in the Plateau.
(Wikipedia.com)

Switzerland has a temperate climate, but it can vary greatly between the localities, from glacial condition on the monutaintops to the near mediterranean climat in Ticino canton (South of Alps).]]> 2019-02-05 13:34:02 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327746942 Theme 1: Introducing biodiversity lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327749426 2019-02-05 13:38:08 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327749426 Theme 2: Exploring biodiversity lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327751254 2019-02-05 13:41:32 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327751254 Theme 3: Threats to biodiversity in a changing climate lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327752829 2019-02-05 13:44:21 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327752829 lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327761864 Tick (Ixodida)
There are small arachnids, ectoparasites (external parasites) and living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds and sometimes reptiles and Amphibians.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick)
Ticks are widespread throughout Switzerland.
The main distribution area is located in the plain. It becomes rarer above 1'500 meters of altitude. 
They are particularly fond of wet biotopes, forest road or edge undergrowth, tall grasses and bushes where they wait for a host to cling to them.
(https://www.vaudfamille.ch/N120728/ou-trouve-t-on-les-tiques-carte-des-zones-a-risques.html)]]> 2019-02-05 13:59:28 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327761864 3.4: Comparison of bioareas lila_siegfried https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327784769 Looking at different padlets, I notice a desire to show us a region or a country. 
Some have chosen to present a large-scale bioarea as a country, others on a smaller scale, as a natural park. 
All the biodiversity of these regions, often already weakened by human action (exploitation, pollution, habitat destruction,...), are linked by the threat of climate change. ]]> 2019-02-05 14:35:38 UTC https://padlet.com/lila_siegfried/znhcp69aajn1/wish/327784769