Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Avalanche bulletin and snow situation
Edition: Wed 20.11., 17:00
Avalanche Bulletin

About WSL

Short portrait of WSL

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL conducts solution-oriented research on forests, landscapes, biodiversity, natural hazards, and snow and ice in a changing world. As a federal research institute and part of the ETH Domain, it is committed to excellence in research and implementation.

Research for People and the Environment in a changing world

According to the WSL Strategy 2035, WSL focuses on research, knowledge transfer and services relating to forests, landscapes, biodiversity, natural hazards and snow and ice. Its four development priorities build on this expertise in terrestrial environmental research:

  • Consequences of global change: mitigation and adaptation
  • Sustainable urbanization for liveable cities
  • Environmental governance
  • Multifunctional landscapes and ecosystems


The interdisciplinary focus areas are geared towards socially relevant and scientifically promising issues. With them, WSL is making a substantial contribution to overcoming global challenges.

 

Since its beginnings, the WSL has taken Switzerland's regionality into account. As early as 1888, experimental plots were set up in a wide variety of forests in order to learn more about their (timber) yields. Today, WSL manages and researches more than 6000 experimental and research plots, including large experimental facilities for avalanches or debris flows, experiments on the effects of climate change on forests or areas affected by natural events such as storms or forest fires.

WSL is divided into research units, research programs and centers and supporting specialist units.

WSL is a federal research center, is part of the ETH Domain and employs around six hundred people. In addition to the headquarters in Birmensdorf and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos, branch offices in Lausanne and Cadenazzo since 1991 and in Sion since 1996 promote local synergies and dialog with practitioners.

Address and contact

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
CH-8903 Birmensdorf
Tel.: +41 44-739 21 11

We are open for calls and visits as follows:
Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 17.00.

Please send your e-mail messages to:

 

Facts and figures

Our multilingual yearly report describes the financial aspects of WSL according to IPSAS standards.

Working at the WSL

About 550 researchers, technicians and administrative staff contribute to the worldwide reputation of our environmental research institute.

Research programmes and initiatives

Research programmes and initiatives are inter- and transdisziplinary cooperations, setting priorities in the WSL's research activities.

Experimental sites and laboratories

From the microscope to entire valleys: Our laboratory is the whole of Switzerland. We maintain over 6000 monitoring and research sites.

How we conduct our research

At WSL and SLF we work by monitoring, experimenting, modelling and providing information. Thus we contribute to solutions of societal challenges.

Locations

Birmensdorf

From our offices and laboratories at the outskirts of Zurich we work on hundreds of experimental field sites all over Switzerland.

SLF Davos

At the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF we investigate natural phenomena under the conditions given by the Alps.

Lausanne

In a joint venture with EPFL, we are investigating the interactions of plant, animals and microorganisms with the processes in their habitats.

Cadenazzo

Central themes of our location on the southern side of the Alps are drought, forest fires and invasive organisms.

Sion

In close cooperation with the canton of Valais, we investigate typical alpine natural hazards at test sites of natural size.