The leaves are falling rapidly and shuffling and crunching through them is a joy to kids and even some adults. As the shuffling and crunching time is passing by quickly and into winter we wanted to take a look at the life cycle of the Luzerner forests and how the Luzerner Forstbetrieb (Luzern Forestry Operations) and other corporations maintain them throughout the year.
Beginning with autumn, because here we are: skies greying, days shortening, one minute a thunderstorm and golden leaves pirouetting on the gusty wind and next sunshine all afternoon. It’s a time when you never know what jacket to take for the day.
Forests offer many benefits and spaces for recreation, so proper maintenance is vital to keep them safe and to protect their biodiversity. Maintenance during autumn mainly includes seasonal tasks but also hunting and harvesting of timber:
- Clearing fallen leaves and branches to keep the trails clear and accessible for wandering and hiking.
- Preparing for winter conditions which entails checking trees for any potential hazards and checking drainage systems are clear for freeze and thaw of water that can damage drains.
- Trail signs are checked that they are visible and warning signs added where necessary.
Image: Meggerwald
- Wildlife management of deer populations and ensuring habitats are protected for winter. Hunting is allowed in the designated hunting grounds from 1 October to 15 December and is called Revierjagdsystem (District Hunting System). In Switzerland the political municipalities lease the hunting rights for a period of usually eight years to hunting organisations that are responsible for hunting in the leased area. At the end of the season the hunters must report how many animals they have shot and are responsible for game management in their hunting ground.
Red deer populations are monitored and the impact on forests and agricultural crops determines the measures and procedures for regulating the population. For the period 2020 to 2024, between 164 and 202 red deer were shot annually in Luzern canton. So if you have ever heard shots in the forest during autumn it’s generally the red deer that are biting the dust.
- Chainsaws can also be heard in the forests as felling and harvesting the trees for wood consumption starts in mid-August and continues through autumn. Statistics from 2024 in Luzern: 225,000 cubic metres of wood was harvested and used, for example, in the sawmill industry for wood and paper and in the energy industry for electricity and heat. More details on the use of the harvested trees can be found here: Förderung Holzverwendung (Promotion of wood utilisation).
Other uses are forest and wood products that are available for purchase from Korporation Luzern:
- Benches and tables
- Fountains
- Finnish candles
- Splitting blocks
- Christmas trees of all sizes (up to 20 m)
- Commemorative birth trees
- Decorative materials
- Wreaths and cover boxes (order by bundle or stack)
- Wood chips (large quantities only)
- Firewood and wood for burning (supplied to our regional customers)
They state that delivery or collection is from the Stalden forestry yard in Kriens. They also manufacture customised wood products from different types of wood and logs and are open to requests. Contact details are on their webpage for a no-obligation quote.
- Planting new trees in autumn (also spring) supports the forest’s natural regeneration cycle and is part of the canton’s strategy to promote mixed, climate-adapted forests that help maintain a stable ecosystem and rich biodiversity.
Forest protection and maintenance is serious business in Switzerland. Luzern alone has over 11,000 forest owners that share 40,000 hectares with around 30,000 plots that need to be managed by a professional management system.
The following interested parties are involved that shows how diverse and important the use of the forests are:
- WaldLuzern (Luzern Forests, a member of the umbrella organisation WaldSchweiz, that represents the interests of 6,500 members),
- Verband Luzerner Korporationen (Association of Lucerne Corporations),
- Revierjagd Luzern (Lucerne Hunting Grounds),
- WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and Pro Natura (For Nature) (also represents Birdlife),
- Luzerner Wanderwege (Luzern Hiking Trails),
- Touristische Regionen Luzern (Tourist Region Luzern),
- Pfadi (Scouts), (also representing Jungwacht Blauring (Blauring Youth Organisation),
- Spielgruppenverband (Playgroup Association),
- Erlebnisschule (Adventure School),
- Fachstelle OL und Umwelt Kanton Luzern (Orienteering and Environment Canton Lucerne),
- Mountainbike Luzern,
- Zentralschweizerischer Kavallerie- und Pferdesportverband (Central Switzerland Cavalry and Equestrian Sports Association) and
- Lignum Holzwirtschaft Zentralschweiz (Lignum Timber Industry Central Switzerland).
The above, with the Luzerner Forstbetrieb, have supported the development of the cantonal WEP – Waldentwicklungsplan (Forest Development Plan). All interested parties were invited to express their views and following a revision in 2022 the WEP plan was adopted by the Council.
And, if for any reason you need to plant a tree here is the app to check for best species to plant for future climate change: Tree-App.ch.
Header image from Pexels: Adrian Limani
