A: Biodiversity has increased in the forest, partly in the waters and also in some places in wetlands, for example where new ponds have been created for amphibians. Large species that were previously persecuted and partly locally extinct in Switzerland (lynx, wolf, birds of prey, bearded vultures, herons, ungulates such as red deer and ibexes, as well as beavers and otters) have returned to Switzerland or have been resettled and have built up viable populations.
The number of bird species has also increased. The Swiss Bird Index of bird species that regularly breed in Switzerland, an indicator of the state of Swiss birdlife, has increased since 1990.
The trend for the butterfly species and small aquatic invertebrates (aquatic macroinvertebrates) monitored in the Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring, especially heat-loving and pesticide-tolerant species, is stable to increasing.
In general, the specialists who need very specific living conditions to thrive are doing worse. This applies to both flora and fauna, and it is primarily species that prefer nutrient-poor soils and birds that breed on the ground or feed exclusively on insects that are affected. Cold-loving species also appear to be declining due to global warming. These are important from a nature conservation perspective because Switzerland, as an Alpine country, is home to a particularly large number of such cold specialists and therefore bears great responsibility for them.
When it comes to plants, it is also striking that the most endangered plant species are suffering the greatest losses. This is particularly worrying because many endangered species only occur in a few places and a further decline in populations could soon lead to entire species disappearing from Switzerland.
Generalists such as crows or foxes, which can adapt to a wide range of living conditions, are spreading. Among plants, it is highly competitive species (eg dandelions) that can benefit from the fertilizers applied and the input of nutrients from the air.
