In Switzerland, moors are among the rarest and most precious of habitats. The UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch has 46 upland moors and transitional peat bogs as well as 67 fens of national importance, spanning some 2,600 hectares in total.

Moors are formed where the underlying soil is impermeable to water. In Entlebuch, flysch often forms the lowest impermeable layer. Sometimes, however, glaciers from the last ice age have gouged vast chambers into the landscape which filled with water in the course of heavy precipitation. Fens were created by planting moisture-loving plants in the (largely) open and wet soils of Entlebuch. In some very wet and nutrient-low fens, the remains of dead young plants accumulated and only broke down slowly on account of the constant wetness and the lack of oxygen. Peat mosses also gathered, forming upland moors that gradually emerged above the water table.

Upland moors are characterised by the growth of peat mosses, the star-shaped shoots of which form extensive cushions and carpets of green and red moss. The plants live almost exclusively on rainfall. In an upland moor, therefore, living conditions are extreme in every respect: the environment is wet and acidic, with few nutrients to be had. This means only highly specialised fauna and flora – like the carnivorous sundew and bog rosemary – can survive here.

Since fens are in active contact with the ground water, they are more alkaline and nutrient-rich than upland moors, while also supporting more species. In contrast to upland moors, which are not utilised, fens are also used for agricultural purposes (if unused, they quickly become overgrown and revert to forest). Even from afar, fens are recognisable by their distinctively white and woolly tufts of cotton grass or the purply-pink marsh orchids.

Moorland is defined not just by moors, but also moor-free areas that are utilised by people. This combination leads to these landscapes being perceived as especially attractive – and like many upland moors and fens, they are nationally protected. A great deal of moorland of national importance lies partially or entirely within the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch: Glaubenberg (the largest in Switzerland), Habkern/Sörenberg, Hilferenpass and Klein Entlen. Taken together, moorland accounts for roughly a quarter of the surface area of Entlebuch and approximately one tenth of all the upland moor in Switzerland.

Cultural features typical of the region include the dispersed settlements, which have largely been preserved. The sod huts, straw huts and straw piles still found in many villages help to define the landscape and recall the moor utilisation of bygone days.