Switzerland names 2,999 species as conservation priorities

Switzerland lists 2999 species with special protection needs Keystone-SDA

From the Blüemlisalp ground beetle to the starry liverwort, Switzerland has drawn up a new list of 2,999 species for which it bears special responsibility for survival.

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The “List of Priority Species” is legally binding, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) announced on Wednesday. The move is designed to help the government and cantons target scarce conservation resources and improve coordination on species protection.

A species is classified as a priority if it meets two conditions: it appears on a red list of threatened species and Switzerland has an international duty to protect it. Of the roughly 56,000 species recorded in the country, more than 10,000 are considered at risk.

Switzerland has a special responsibility for endemic species – those found nowhere else in the world. Examples include the snow rue and the Blüemlisalp ground beetle, first identified in 2014. If one of these species disappears here, it vanishes globally.

Switzerland also has a major responsibility for partial endemics – species found only in the country and its neighbours, according to the WSL. Examples include the Insubrian gentian and Breidler’s starry liverwort. Species that help connect scattered populations are also prioritised, such as many mosses, lichens and fungi.

Habitat loss is the main threat. Many moorland species feature on the list. Others, such as house martins and bats, struggle to find nesting sites in buildings, while polecats and dormice depend on hedgerows to move between habitats.

The priority species list has been in place since 2011 and is compiled by the environment ministry in collaboration with national data and information centres. “The Swiss Constitution requires us to protect animal and plant species from extinction,” said Silvia Stofer of WSL, one of the experts behind the list, in a statement.

Translated from German by AI/sp

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