Clearing of the Pessen forest pasture in Pignia

Problem:

The Pessen woodland pasture has become increasingly overgrown with shrubs in recent years. Open areas, which are important for seasonal cattle grazing, are overgrown, and typical structures of a light woodland pasture are threatened with loss. Valuable old trees and dry stone walls along the Walserweg trail are also under pressure from weed encroachment and shading.

Measures:

Shrubs (especially hazel and barberry) were cut back, paths were cleared, and some clearings were reopened. Valuable trees – particularly aspens – were marked and deliberately protected. In sunny areas, we created piles of deadwood to provide habitat for ants, insects, and small mammals. The cuttings along the dry stone walls of the historic hiking trail were systematically removed to stabilize the open areas.

Method:

The work was carried out using chainsaws, brush cutters, and pruning shears. Shrubs were not cleared but pruned annually to maintain their ecological function. Standing deadwood was left in place. Piles of deadwood were structured – with coarser wood in the center and finer branches on the outside – and deliberately placed in sunny locations to encourage warmth-loving species. All interventions were carried out outside of the bird breeding season.

Result:

In the treated areas, a recognizable mosaic of open pastureland, thorny shrub islands, and individual mature trees has been restored. The hiking trail is easier to walk on, light penetrates to the ground again, and the habitat quality for typical pasture woodland species – such as the green woodpecker, wryneck, and red-backed shrike – has improved.

Ecological added value:

Wooded pastures are among the rarest cultural landscapes in Switzerland. They combine forest and open land in a form that hardly exists anymore. The mix of old trees, sunny clearings, thorny bushes, and deadwood creates habitats for species that depend on semi-open structures. Thorny bushes offer nesting sites and shelter, patches of bare soil encourage ants and insects, and old aspen trees provide ideal breeding grounds for woodpeckers – whose cavities are later used by species such as the wryneck. By thinning the area, a traditional and ecologically valuable habitat is preserved, whose biodiversity depends heavily on the interplay of grazing, light, and structure.

What's next:

Maintenance will continue in the coming years. Further clearing of brush will only take place where long-term grazing use is guaranteed. Volunteer work, monitoring, and cooperation with the alpine cooperative will be intensified to ensure the sustainable preservation of the forest pasture.