Core zones

According to UNESCO guidelines, biosphere reserves require zoning. Zoning is defined according to the conditions of the natural landscape and the intensity of human activity; it seeks to give different weighting to the various demands of sustainable spatial development. Within the network of biosphere reserves, the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch is noted for its pre-alpine landscapes of moorland and karst. Zoning for the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch is also guided by existing legal provisions.

core zones

buffer zone

development zone

Biosphere reserve zoning maintains a balance between protecting and utilising. Such reserves comprise 3 zones with distinct functions and usage types.

[Translate to Englisch:] Die Zonierung der Biosphäre Entlebuch

Core zone: The heart of the biosphere
Entlebuch has a core zone spanning approximately 8%. This mainly comprises upland moors, fens, transitional peat bogs, bog woodland, wetlands, forests, no-hunting areas and rock formations. The core zone also incorporates the striking karst landscape of the Schratteflue.
Sustainable and conservation-friendly interventions are permitted in core zones, as in many areas of the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch.
Buffer zone: Utilisation in harmony with nature
In the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, the buffer zone comprises around 42% thanks to extensive areas of protective forests, fens and pastures. From a land use perspective, these areas are predominantly assigned to the BLN (Federal Inventory of Protected Landscapes and Natural Monuments) or classified as moors of national importance.
In the buffer zone, the good of nature is just as important as the good of the local populace. For this reason, the zone contains natural spaces such as meadows, pastures and fens along with cultivated areas of forest.
Development zone: Specially for people
Alongside the core zones and buffer zones, development zones make up some 50% of the Biosphere Entlebuch. In contrast to the other two zones, people are permitted to develop here according to their needs. The primary goal of this is not progress, but the balanced development of social, economic and cultural values.

Within the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, a very large proportion of the surface area – fully 50 percent – is protected. However, it is the development zone that represents the biggest point of difference from a national park: people belong to the biosphere and rank as a key element of the reserve. The emphasis is on the reciprocal relationship between humans and the biosphere itself. Through conflicts and resolutions, the region is able to develop sustainably.

Moorland and karst

Two impressive natural areas of major ecological importance.

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