ABSTRACT
The Swiss Alps are a haven for both walkers and biodiversity. Bright yellow signs mark well-maintained footpaths through forests full of wild boar (Sus scrofa) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), up steep mountain slopes and on to the wildflower meadows of the high Alps.The forests feel natural and, to the casual eye, ageless, but neither is true. In fact, most of the trees were planted comparatively recently. Around 150 years ago the Swiss government recognized that deforestation was leading to serious avalanches, landslides and flooding, and introduced a rigorous system of protection and restoration (McShane and McShane-Caluzi, 1997). Following a serious flood in 1987, further steps were taken to use forests as protection against natural hazards, through the Federal Ordinances on Flood and Forest Protection. Swiss scientists and land managers identified four main stages of natural hazard management:
hazard assessment;
defining protection requirements;
management planning;
emergency planning (Lateltin et al., 2005).
They recognized healthy forests as a major component of disaster prevention and forests in the Alpine region. Now, 17 per cent of Swiss forests are managed to protect against avalanches and floods; services which have been valued at US$2–3.5 billion per year (ISDR, 2004).