Insect pests, diseases and other biotic agents have considerable impacts on forests and the forest sector. They can adversely affect tree growth and the yield of wood and non-wood products. Damage caused by forest pests can significantly reduce wildlife…

The livestock sector is transforming rapidly in response to shifts in the global economy and changing societal expectations. Society expects the livestock sector to provide safe and plentiful food and fibre for growing urban populations, livelihoods for more than a billion poor producers…

يشهد قطاع الثروة الحيوانية تحولاً سريعاً استجابة للتحولات التي تحدث في الاقتصاد العالمي وتغير توقعات المجتمع. فالمجتمع يتوقع من قطاع الثروة الحيوانية أن يوفر أغذية وأليافاً مأمونة ووفيرة لأعداد متزايدة من سكان الحضر، وأن يوفر سُبل العيش لأكثر من مليار شخص من المنتجين والتجار الفقراء، وكذلك السلع…

This paper outlines the potential impact of current WTO trade talks on land use, livestock husbandryand financial performance of organic and nonorganicfarms in Switzerland. The results of theanalysis conducted suggest that organic farms would respond to a potential WTO trade agreement ina…

Raw materials for animal feeding are highly deficient in Europe, which results in massive imports of soya beans from North and South America. These imports are connected with a number of environmental problems. Increasing the grain legume production in Europe could be a promising alternative.…

We predict fine-scale species richness patterns at large spatial extents by linking a systematic sample of vascular plants with a multitude of independent environmental descriptors. Switzerland, covering 41,244 km² in central Europe. Vascular plant species data were collected along transects of…

The paper analyzes the preferences of dairy farmers with respect to their work by the means of a Discrete Choice experiment, which was carried out in the Eastern part of Switzerland. 304 dairy farmers, who intend to produce milk beyond the abolishment of the milk quota in 2009, were asked to…

Vegetation changes following agricultural land abandonment at high elevation --- which is frequent in Europe --- could have a major impact on carbon (C) sequestration. However, most information on the effects of vegetation changes on ecosystem C stocks originates from low-elevation studies on…

Frankrijk en Zwitserland hebben een planningssysteem met verplichte ruimtelijke plannen en vrijwillige landschapsplannen. Landschap als een verplicht onderdeel van ruimtelijke plannen. Landschapsplannen worden vaak gemaakt in een samenwerking van meerdere lokale overheden. Ze worden aan het…

La présente loi porte réglementation du territoire et des constructions. L’article 1er établit que la présente loi a pour but de contribuer au développement durable de l’ensemble du canton, en veillant à garantir l’équilibre entre les besoins économiques, sociaux et environnementaux. Elle a…

The availability and quality of clean water in many regions of the world is more and more threatened by overuse, misuse and pollution. In this context, the relationship between forests and water must be accorded high priority. Forested catchments supply a high proportion of the water for…