{"id":3116,"date":"2026-06-23T10:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/florae.ch\/?p=3116"},"modified":"2026-06-23T10:24:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:24:19","slug":"flora-raetica-halfway-to-the-flora-of-the-century-for-graubuenden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/florae.ch\/en\/flora-raetica-halfway-to-the-flora-of-the-century-for-graubuenden\/","title":{"rendered":"Flora Raetica: Halfway to the Flora of the Century for Graub\u00fcnden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Well over a hun\u00addred vol\u00adun\u00adteers have been doc\u00adu\u00adment\u00ading the flo\u00adra of Graub\u00fcn\u00adden since 2021\u2014with 350,000 sight\u00adings report\u00aded so far and the first inter\u00adest\u00ading results emerg\u00ading.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

As part of the \u201cFlo\u00adra Raet\u00adi\u00adca\u201d project, some 130 botany enthu\u00adsi\u00adasts have so far been cat\u00ada\u00adloging the ferns and flow\u00ader\u00ading plants of Graub\u00fcn\u00adden. By 2032, this data is expect\u00aded to result in a new \u201cFlo\u00adra of Graub\u00fcnden\u201d\u2014one hun\u00addred years after the sem\u00adi\u00adnal work of the same name by Josias Braun-Blan\u00adquet and Eduard R\u00fcbel. <\/p>\n\n

Already 350,000 plant observations<\/h3>\n\n

Since 2021, vol\u00adun\u00adteers have record\u00aded 350,000 plant obser\u00adva\u00adtions and doc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded 2,700 species. In 2025 alone, 113,000 new sight\u00adings were added. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThanks to the many new obser\u00adva\u00adtions, we are get\u00adting an accu\u00adrate pic\u00adture of where spe\u00adcif\u00adic plants grow in Graub\u00fcn\u00adden and how com\u00admon they are,\u201d says Chris\u00adt\u00adian Rix\u00aden, co-direc\u00adtor of Flo\u00adra Raet\u00adi\u00adca and a researcher at the WSL Insti\u00adtute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF).<\/p>\n\n

Fewer field weeds, more neophytes<\/h3>\n\n

Even at the halfway point of the project, the grow\u00ading vol\u00adume of data is already allow\u00ading for ini\u00adtial sci\u00aden\u00adtif\u00adic analy\u00adses. A master\u2019s the\u00adsis at the SLF shows that 6.5 per\u00adcent of the species that were present in the 1930s have not been con\u00adfirmed since then. Half of these 144 species are con\u00adsid\u00adered endan\u00adgered accord\u00ading to Switzerland\u2019s Red List. <\/p>\n\n

Species that depend on exten\u00adsive, small-scale agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal land\u00adscapes are par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly affect\u00aded, such as low\u00adland field plants like the sum\u00admer blood-drop. At the same time, new plants are spread\u00ading: 13 per\u00adcent of the species record\u00aded today were not part of Graub\u00fcnden\u2019s flo\u00adra a hun\u00addred years ago. These include the sil\u00adver poplar and the Euro\u00adpean horn\u00adbeam, as well as many neo\u00adphytes, such as the South African rag\u00adwort. <\/p>\n\n

Surprising Rediscoveries<\/h3>\n\n

\u201cEven though the data is still pre\u00adlim\u00adi\u00adnary, it already clear\u00adly shows how much the plant life has changed over the past hun\u00addred years,\u201d says Chris\u00adt\u00adian Rix\u00aden. \u201cAt the same time, we keep dis\u00adcov\u00ader\u00ading unex\u00adpect\u00aded species in places where no one has looked for a long time.\u201d For exam\u00adple, a mem\u00adber of the Flo\u00adra Raet\u00adi\u00adca team was able to con\u00adfirm the pres\u00adence of the extreme\u00adly rare snow-white cinque\u00adfoil above Davos for the first time since 1916. <\/p>\n\n

Fur\u00adther analy\u00adses are intend\u00aded to show how cli\u00admate change and changes in land use affect biodiversity\u2014and to pro\u00advide impor\u00adtant insights for the con\u00adser\u00adva\u00adtion of endan\u00adgered species and habi\u00adtats.<\/p>\n\n

Research as a Collaborative Effort<\/h3>\n\n

Flo\u00adra Raet\u00adi\u00adca is a cit\u00adi\u00adzen sci\u00adence project. The data comes not only from experts, but pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly from peo\u00adple who devote their free time to the plant world\u2014from a finan\u00adcial expert in the can\u00adton of Zurich to a social work\u00ader in Chur. They report their obser\u00adva\u00adtions via an app or par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpate in group map\u00adping events. \u201cWith\u00adout the tremen\u00addous work of the vol\u00adun\u00adteers, this project would be impos\u00adsi\u00adble,\u201d says Chris\u00adt\u00adian Rix\u00aden. \u201cIt com\u00adbines research with a gen\u00aduine joy of dis\u00adcov\u00adery.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

A Look at the Second Half of the Project<\/h3>\n\n

To date, regions along the main val\u00adleys and trans\u00adporta\u00adtion routes have been par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly well stud\u00adied. In con\u00adtrast, sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant gaps remain in more remote areas such as parts of the Sur\u00adsel\u00adva, the Safien\u00adtal, the Schams, the Bergell, and the Puschlav. <\/p>\n\n

The plant sur\u00adveys will con\u00adtin\u00adue through 2028. After\u00adward, the project lead\u00aders will con\u00adduct a sci\u00aden\u00adtif\u00adic analy\u00adsis of all the data. Final\u00adly, a rich\u00adly illus\u00adtrat\u00aded book is sched\u00aduled to be pub\u00adlished in 2032\u2014as a botan\u00adi\u00adcal record of our times for future gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions. <\/p>\n\n

Contact<\/h3>\n\n

Co-Project Leader, Flo\u00adra Raet\u00adi\u00adca<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

Chris\u00adt\u00adian Rix\u00aden Thomas Wohlge\u00admuth
rixen(at)slf.ch thomas.wohlgemuth(at)wsl.ch
+41 81 417 02 14 +41 44 739 23 17<\/p>\n\n

Flo\u00adra Raet\u00adi\u00adca Coor\u00addi\u00adna\u00adtor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Ingrid Jansen
ingrid.jansen(at)wsl.ch
+41 78 625 27 36
<\/p>\n\n

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Flora Raetica at a Glance:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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