Wet meadows

Temporarily flooded, wet grasslands are among the most threatened natural habitats in Switzerland, due to drainage and the intensification of their use. Extensive wet grassland is characterised by a diverse and exceptional flora and fauna. It plays a vital role in regulating the water and carbon cycle. Its conservation involves restrictions on manuring and delayed mowing between mid-July and September, giving plants and animals time to reproduce.

The arduous work involved and the low value of the fodder threaten the long-term survival of these farms, requiring them to be reforested. Maintaining them is supported by agricultural policy, especially if various semi-natural areas are important elements of the local ecological network, as they are here. The differentiated use of the wet meadows of the Liderrey slope marsh, located opposite at an altitude of over 1000m, structures the landscape. There is a visible contrast between the green meadows in the foreground and the litter meadows in the background (orange grass in the photos), on very wet, sometimes soggy soil, which must be mown at least once every three years.