Unboxing Biodiversity Policy

What does biodiversity sound like? What does nature smell like? In a five-part podcast series, scientists tell us about their biodiversity research and share their hopes and ideas for the future of our planet’s biological diversity.

Sound recording devices in the Ziegelwald forest near St. Urban in the canton of Bern
Sound recording devices in the Ziegelwald forest near St. Urban in the canton of Bern. Foto: Anna Ida Fierz


Should Switzerland follow France's example and protect the sounds and smells of nature? The idea is based on research findings by Astrid Zabel from the CDE. These show that current political measures in Switzerland are not sufficient to effectively increase connectivity between biodiversity-rich areas in practice. The ‘Unboxing Biodiversity Policy’ project explores how biodiversity conservation in Switzerland could be conceived and designed differently.

The five audio pieces were presented to the public for the first time at Research Night 2025. Visitors exchanged views with researchers on the protection of biodiversity and learned how politics, science, and civil society think about this topic in a panel discussion.

Episode 1: Biodiversity in a long-term experiment (in English)

Prof. Dr. Eric Allen, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern

The PaNDiv-Experiment in Münchenbuchsee near Bern investigates how nitrogen affects nature. While nitrogen promotes plant growth, it can also cause a loss of plant species richness and promote disease. The aim of this experiment is to help us understand how plant species composition, plant diversity, and soil affect the ecosystem. Overall, species-rich meadows provide more habitat for animals, offer a greater variety of sensory impressions, and are more resilient.

Audio 1: Biodiversity in a long-term experiment (MP3, 19.3 MB) Transcript and translation (PDF, 102KB)

Episode 2: Connecting protected areas (in German)

Dr. Astrid Zabel, Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern

In 2017, the Federal Council approved a biodiversity strategy. While the strategy seeks to establish a regional network of protected areas – “ecological infrastructure” – it contains no detailed guidelines for implementation. The EMERALD project in the Mittelland region of the canton of Bern investigated whether innovative bonus payments for maintaining maximum distances between biodiversity promotion areas could improve the connectivity of these areas. However, bonus payments have had no effect. Future instruments could also take sounds and smells into account.

Episode 2 – Connecting protected areas (MP3, 16.8 MB) Transcript and translation (PDF, 65KB)

Episode 3: Capturing the environment acoustically (in French)

Olivier Pichard, Centre d’études et d’expertise sur les risques, l’environnement, la mobilité et l’aménagement and independent sound researcher, Lille, France

France protects the sensory heritage of its landscape with a law. The sound heritage includes anthropogenic sounds, sounds from nature, and weather phenomena. The audio-naturalist observes the loss of acoustic diversity and increasing man-made environmental noise. In his work, he creates auditory landscapes that benefit biodiversity and humans – because we too are living beings that are sensitive to sound.

Episode 3 – Capturing the environment acoustically (MP3, 16.3 MB) Transcript and translation (PDF, 98KB)

Episode 4: Biocultural diversity in the Amazon (in English)

Dr. Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel, Centre for Development and Environment und Wyss Academy for Nature, University of Bern

Madre de Dios is a biodiversity hotspot – but it’s also the location of the ancestral territories of various Indigenous groups, who have interacted with and cared for their territories and environment for centuries. What we perceive as untouched nature is, in fact, the result of the historical relationship between Indigenous groups and their environment. The project analyses Indigenous governance models in Madre de Dios, in the Peruvian Amazon to find out how different knowledge systems are integrated into or excluded from decision-making processes.

Episode 4 – Biocultural diversity in the Amazon (MP3, 18.5 MB) Transcript and translation (PDF, 70KB)

Episode 5: Listening to the future (in German, English, and French)

Prof. Dr. Eric Allen, Dr. Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel, Olivier Pichard, and Dr. Astrid Zabel

In this episode, the four researchers share their hopes and expectations for strengthening biodiversity protection and conserving species richness in the future. Policy instruments should promote both biodiversity and tangible benefits for the well-being of the population. Approaches elsewhere, such as in France or Peru, offer valuable insights into how we can treat nature without viewing it merely as a resource.

Episode 5 – Listening to the future (MP3, 21.0 MB) Transcript and translation (PDF, 126KB)
Info box
Funding

Agora Programme by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Partner

Anna Ida Fierz
Prof. Dr. Eric Allan
Contact

PD Dr. Astrid Zabel