Switzerland lists 2999 species with special protection needs

This "List of Priority Species" is legally binding, as the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) announced on Wednesday. It is intended to help the Confederation and cantons to make targeted use of limited nature conservation resources and to better coordinate species protection.

A species is classified as a priority if two criteria are met: It must be listed as threatened on a Red List and Switzerland must have an international responsibility to protect it. Of the approximately 56,000 species recorded in Switzerland, over 10,000 are considered threatened.

There is a particular responsibility for so-called endemics, i.e. species that only occur in Switzerland worldwide. Examples include the snow rue or the Blüemlisalp ground beetle, which was only described in 2014. If such a species becomes extinct in Switzerland, it is lost globally.

According to the WSL, Switzerland also bears a great deal of responsibility for partial endemics whose occurrence is limited to Switzerland and its neighboring countries. These include the Insubrian gentian and Breidler's starry liverwort. In addition, priority is given to species whose populations in Switzerland are important for the connectivity of widely dispersed populations. These include many mosses, lichens and fungi.

"Enshrined in the Federal Constitution"

The main reason for the threat is the loss of habitats. Many moorland species are on the list. Other species such as the house martin or bats lack nesting sites on buildings, while polecats and dormice rely on hedges as connecting elements.

The list of priority species has been in existence since 2011 and is compiled by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) together with the national data and information centers. "The Swiss Federal Constitution stipulates that we must protect animal and plant species from extinction," said Silvia Stofer from WSL, the expert involved in compiling the list, in the press release.