Since its foundation in 1914, the Swiss National Park (SNP) has been a strictly protected wilderness area in the heart of the Alps. In specific terms, this means that all natural processes can take place without restriction throughout an area of around 170 square kilometres. Nature is largely left to its own devices. In the SNP, animals, plants, habitats and the related processes have been protected from human interference for over 100 years. Humans are silent observers of the various processes that shape and constantly change this unique alpine landscape. Today and in the future, the SNP is committed to allowing natural processes to take place, to researching and documenting them. Not least in order to understand them better and better.
Here we present some of these natural processes and show you what is actually meant by their protection in the Park.
Mudflow
The numerous screes and heavy rainfall lead to many debris flows in the National Park.
Mudflows are also called mudslides or debris flows. They consist of water, mud and rock debris flowing down a valley because of gravitation. In the mountains, mudflows often occur in steep territory, where there is a lot of debris and scree. Heavy rainfall sets this material in motion. Mudflows can reach speeds of 60 km/h, and with their many stones and rocks their destructive potential is enormous
Avalanche
Avalanches are masses of snow and ice that are released from steep mountain slopes and flow downhill at various speeds. They are the defining process in the winter landscape of the Park. However, as the Park is closed in winter, they pose no danger to visitors.
We distinguish between different types:
- Dust avalanches: They occur mainly in the middle of winter when temperatures are lower. They can tear up entire forests with their air pressure.
- Slab avalanches: They occur when an entire sheet of snow starts to slide at the same time. They can also be triggered by animals or falling stones.
- Wet snow avalanches: They occur when the weather warms up considerably, break loose spontaneously and can reach far into the valleys. The wet snow also carries stones and trees with it.
Learn more:
→ SLF website on avalanches
Forest fire
The area of the 1951 forest fire near the hotel Il Fuorn (image on the left) shows how long the traces of a forest fire can remain visible in the area of the Swiss National Park.
When the forest burns, it is usually frightening and destructive. However, a forest fire also contributes to forest rejuvenation. It creates nutrients and space for new life and is basically a natural part of forest ecosystems. Nowadays, however, the vast majority of fires are due to human causes and in this sense are no longer part of a natural process. How to deal with forest fires in the Swiss National Park (SNP) is therefore not a trivial question.
Fungi
Fungi fulfil important functions in the forest ecosystem. This is also the case in the Swiss National Park, where fungal infestation is not seen as damage but as a natural process. As living organisms, fungi stand somewhere between animals and plants and influence them in various ways. In nature, they act as important decomposers of dead organic material (e.g. dead trees) and form humus. However, some fungi also feed on living organisms. They are so-called parasites.
In the Swiss National Park (SNP), two fungi are particularly interesting: The honey fungus (Armillaria) and the fungus Heterobasidion annosum.
The greatest living organism in Switzerland
The honey fungus is a fungus that invades dead or living wood and decomposes it. This makes it a dreaded pest on wood. But not in the National Park! Here, the honey fungus contributes to coming to be and passing away in a natural way.
The greatest specimen of honey fungus in Switzerland can be found in the National Park. It is more than 1’000 years old and extends to the size of more than 50 football greens. It is of the variety of armillaria ostoyae.
The fungus consists of a fruiting body and thousands of hyphae, the mycelium. This expands inside trees. The fruit body is visible on the trunk. In the National Park, however, the honey fungus does not form fruit bodies, as the climate is too dry. The honey fungus expands mainly through the roots of trees. In this way it forms a huge subterranean network of ‘shoestrings’ (hyphae). The halogen lamp makes this fluorescent network visible.
Learn more:
→ The function of fungi in the forest ecosystem
→ WSL publication on armillaria (in German)
Larch tortrix
From time to time, the larches of the Swiss National Park are infested by the larch tortrix Zeiraphera griseana – a small dark grey moth whose caterpillars feed on the larch needles. The larch tortrix periodically attacks larches (Larix decidua), particularly in the inner Alpine valleys. It changes the growth of the larch needles in the short term and thus also the appearance of the forests, but does not generally lead to the death of the trees.
Learn more:
→ Information from the WSL on the larch tortrix (German)
Climate change
The effects of climate change are already being felt in the Swiss National Park. They can be seen in various processes.
An overview of the scientifically established effects of climate change in the National Park can be found → here (in German).
The process of climate change is a global process that is not confined to the boundaries of the Swiss National Park. Its causes and consequences are complex and far-reaching. The impact of climate change on the landscape and ecosystems of the SNP is extremely complex and forms a subject of constant research. It is therefore not possible to make any conclusive statements here.
Learn more:
→ Overview of climate change impact in the SNP (in German)