A great many life zones for native animals and plants in the center of Switzerland have gotten lost due to encroachment upon adjoining land and cutting up by traffic routes or restricted in their quality because of intensified agriculture. Vast nature expanses and structures have been forced back to minimal residual areas in the center of Switzerland. The hare is still very widespread in Switzerland, the survivals, however, have reached very critical lowest levels. The hare, today, even is on the Red List.

Targets of the project

With the hare project Switzerland, the survivals of hares are extensively being kept under surveillance on the one hand and on the other hand the life zones (biotopes) are being specifically enhanced.

Results of the first project phase (1991-1999)

Ever since the end of the eighties, the survival of hares in Switzerland has been on a critically low level also in areas with great potential. The average density of the census carried out in half of the 218 areas in 20 cantons was smaller than 2,6 hares per square kilometre. Only 26 areas (12%) still showed an average survival of 6 to 19 hares per square kilometre. A life zone analysis made it clear that an open country, light soils, a varied agricultural use and a good range of hedges have positive repercussions on the survival of hares in contrast to negative repercussions resulting from dense traffic, springtime rainfalls and fruit plantations.

In the center of attention for the improvement of life zones were areas with a good potential for hares, that is to say extensive artificial landscapes. At first, supporting measures along the same line were suggested and put to practice in the following regions: Genevan Champagn, Klettgau (SH), Saint Gall Rhinevalley, Big Marsh (BE/FR), Gürbetal (BE), Plains of Wauwil (LU), Inwil (LU) and three regions in the Basel District. In the regions with predominant farming, the survival of hares could at least be kept on the same level as in 1992, whereas the survival continued to decrease till 1998 in the regions with mixed cultivation (agriculture/dairy farming). In 1999 a slight increase could be scored also in these regions.

Way of proceeding in the second project phase (2000-2006)

In the second phase of the hare project Switzerland, the role of the ecological balancing shall be investigated in detail. Namely:
(1) The annual hare census carried out by means of nightly spotlight estimates in collaboration with local hunting parties and gamekeepers will be continued.
(2) The life zone stocks and the filing of the use of cultivated land will be completed.
(3) A closer look will be taken at the seasonal fluctuations of the survivals of hares.
(4) The influence of disturbances and volume of traffic will be investigated.

Parallel to this, measures of ecological balancing will, if possible, be suggested and put to practice. Contracts for special ecological performances will be concluded with landowners and cultivators. This way of proceeding has helped the Swiss Ornithological Station Sempach to get closer to their goal in different regions all over Switzerland.

Contact: Dr. Otto Holzgang, Assistant Project Manager "Grundlagen für die Praxis", Phone 0041 41 462 97 42, e-mail otto.holzgang@vogelwarte.ch


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