From the Blüemlisalp ground beetle to the starry liverwort, Switzerland has drawn up a new list of 2,999 species for which it bears special responsibility for survival. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The “List of Priority Species” is legally binding, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) announced on Wednesday. The move is designed to help the government and cantons target scarce conservation resources and improve coordination on species protection. A species is classified as a priority if it meets two conditions: it appears on a red list of threatened species and Switzerland has an international duty to protect it. Of the roughly 56,000 species recorded in the country, more than 10,000 are considered at risk. Switzerland has a special responsibility for endemic species – those found nowhere else in the world. Examples include the snow rue and the Blüemlisalp ground beetle, first identified in 2014. If one of these ...
