Aletsch Forest
The Aletsch Forest is an old stone pine-larch forest above the lower Aletsch Glacier . It has not been used for forestry purposes since it was placed under protection in 1933 and therefore has features similar to jungle.
location
It is located in the Swiss canton of Valais in the municipality of Riederalp in the area above the tongue of the Aletsch glacier and is located on the northern and northwestern slopes of Moosfluh and Hohfluh in the subalpine altitude zone between 1600 and 2200 m above sea level. M.
flora
In its upper part, the Aletsch Forest consists of loosely standing Swiss stone pines and larches . It is interspersed with alpine dwarf shrubs such as alpine roses , heather and blueberries . In some places there are also high moors . In the lower, western area with denser forest there are spruce trees .
fauna
Characteristic animal species found in the Aletsch Forest are chamois , marmots , black grouse and jay . The pine jays feed mainly on the stone pine nuts and ensure their distribution. The Aletsch Forest is only roamed by red deer in summer.
meaning
What is unique about the Aletsch Forest are the various stages of the new colonization of the lateral moraines released by the glacier by the plants. So you can at close range all stages of subalpine plant succession from the first of moss and stone crushing plants up to observe the established, ancient Swiss stone-pine.
Protected position
The Aletsch Forest was placed under protection in 1933 on an area of around 400 hectares and has been well researched. It is part of the federal inventory of landscapes and natural monuments in Switzerland and is part of a hunting banned area . Since December 2001 he has been with the Great Aletsch Glacier to UNESCO - World Heritage Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn .
tourism
The forest can be reached on foot and hiked on several hiking trails. The hiking trails through the protected area are connected to the public hiking trail network. A suspension bridge, inaugurated in 2008, over the Massa Gorge, starting from the Aletsch Forest, even allows you to cross the valley to Belalp.
The Pro Natura Center Aletsch nature conservation center of Pro Natura (formerly the Swiss Confederation for Nature Conservation SBN), which has been in the Villa Cassel on the Riederfurka above the forest since 1976, provides comprehensive information about the Aletsch forest on several floors from mid-June to mid-October with a multimedia exhibition. The Villa Cassel is also connected to an alpine garden with more than 300 species, which allows glimpses of the flora of the Aletsch region during the heyday.
Coordinates: 46 ° 23 '12 " N , 8 ° 1' 7" E ; CH1903: 644614 / 137420
Web links
- Aletschwald on the ETHorama platform
- www.pronatura.ch - The Aletsch Forest on the Pro Natura website
- www.geographie.uni-stuttgart.de - The Aletsch Forest with pictures