Former extraction site
The parcel bears the marks of quarry activity, topographical disruption, altered hydrology, and ecological fragmentation.
Project
Zunzgen: adaptive restoration of Parcel 1988
The Zunzgen project is a flagship restoration case within NATURASCHUTZ.CH. Centered on Parcel 1988, a former extraction site, it brings together adaptive renaturation, biodiversity monitoring, drone mapping, ecological subdivision, and long-term field analysis.
Introduction
Parcel 1988 serves as a field-based proof of concept for adaptive restoration: a site where ecological recovery is approached through observation, flexibility, data, and the careful reading of ecological functions over time.
Overview
A degraded site approached as a living ecological system
Parcel 1988 in Zunzgen, covering approximately 14,810 m², has been heavily shaped by limestone extraction and the deposition of construction materials. Rather than treating the site as a uniform degraded area, the project reads it as a dynamic ecological system with distinct zones, functions, limits, and restoration potentials.
Adaptive restoration logic
Restoration is guided by continuous observation, ecological feedback, and the capacity to adjust management strategies when the site behaves differently than expected.
Biodiversity focus
The project aims to improve habitat quality, strengthen ecological functions, and support biodiversity through field-based analysis and management.
Long-term vision
Parcel 1988 is not treated as a short intervention, but as a long-term restoration territory requiring structured monitoring and evolving ecological understanding.
Site Reading
Subdivision, structure, and ecological interpretation
A central strength of the Zunzgen project lies in the detailed ecological reading of the site. Parcel 1988 has been subdivided into sectors and sub-sectors based on topography, vegetation, habitat conditions, hydrological behavior, and biodiversity potential.
This sector-based approach allows restoration to remain precise. It becomes possible to distinguish forest sectors, amphibian areas, reptile zones, ruderal areas, transition spaces, and zones of ecological continuity or limitation.
Ecological Dimensions
Main components of the restoration work
The project integrates several lines of ecological understanding and intervention, each contributing to a broader restoration logic.
Amphibian zones
Artificial pools and surrounding areas are assessed in terms of accessibility, predator pressure, hydrological suitability, and real ecological value for amphibian life.
Forest continuity
North, middle, and south forest sectors are studied as parts of a larger ecological network supporting wildlife movement and habitat connectivity.
Reptile habitat potential
Rocky areas are evaluated not only for exposure and structure, but also for real species use, vulnerability, and ecological limitations.
Ruderal and transition areas
Disturbed soils, plateaus, and internal roads reveal how erosion, compacted ground, water retention, and succession influence restoration outcomes.
Methods
Monitoring, mapping, and ecological analysis
The Zunzgen project combines practical field work with structured observation and analytical tools.
Drone mapping
Drone-based aerial imagery allows a precise reading of site structure, topography, vegetation patterns, and ecological sectorization.
Wildlife monitoring
Camera traps, direct observations, bird sound recording, and field traces help document the diversity and activity of species across the parcel.
Plant biodiversity assessment
Plant, tree, and flower identification helps track succession, habitat development, and the changing ecological character of the site.
Data analysis
Structured recording and analysis support the interpretation of biodiversity, species abundance, habitat differences, and sector evolution through time.
Lessons
Why this project matters beyond one site
The restoration of Parcel 1988 demonstrates that ecological restoration must be site-specific, monitored, and capable of adapting when ecological conditions reveal new realities.
Standard measures are not enough
Habitat structures only become ecologically meaningful when their placement, connectivity, and surrounding conditions truly support species use.
Monitoring changes decisions
Continuous observation helps identify when a measure must be improved, relocated, protected, or reinterpreted.
Connectivity is central
Forest links, access routes, hydrology, and wildlife movement must be read together if restoration is to become ecologically functional.
Adaptive logic is transferable
The methods developed in Zunzgen can serve as a model for other degraded landscapes in Baselland and beyond.
Digital Conservation Tool
NaturaSchutz DB as the digital extension of the project
The restoration work at Zunzgen directly supports the development of NaturaSchutz DB. The need for structured ecological records, sector-based monitoring, biodiversity data, and long-term restoration analysis makes a dedicated digital tool both useful and necessary.
NaturaSchutz DB emerges from real field requirements. It is designed to support ecological monitoring, restoration-oriented analysis, and more coherent long-term data management across complex restoration projects.
Explore NaturaSchutz DBScientific Article
A detailed case study is available
The Zunzgen project is also presented in a longer article focused on adaptive restoration, methodology, biodiversity analysis, and the broader implications of this work.
Contact
For dialogue around restoration, biodiversity, and long-term monitoring
NATURASCHUTZ.CH welcomes exchanges related to adaptive restoration, degraded landscapes, ecological monitoring, biodiversity analysis, and practical conservation methods.
Get in touch