ALL-EMA: The Swiss Agricultural Landscape Biodiversity Monitoring Programme

The ALL-EMA Biodiversity Monitoring Programme has been recording the state and changes in species and habitat diversity in the Swiss agricultural landscape since 2015. The programme provides a scientific basis for recognising trends in biodiversity and for evaluating agricultural and environmental policy measures in the in the field of biodiversity.

© Agroscope

Remit

High species and habitat diversity forms the basis for functioning ecosystems and sustainable agriculture. In farmland, however, this diversity has been under threat for decades due to intensive land use and climate change. To counteract biodiversity loss and determine the extent to which biodiversity targets are being achieved, the Federal Offices for the Environment (FOEN) and Agriculture (FOAG) have defined environmental objectives for farmland and introduced measures, including ecological focus areas. The ‘ALL-EMA’ (Arten und Lebensräume Landwirtschaft – Espèces et Milieux Agricoles) Biodiversity Monitoring Programme – the acronym being composed of the initial letters of the German and French for ‘Agricultural Species and Habitats’– monitors biodiversity in the Swiss agricultural landscape on behalf of these Federal Offices and provides the basis for assessing changes over time.

Data Acquisition

Spatial distribution

ALL-EMA collects data on species and habitat biodiversity in 194 survey squares of 1 km² each that are distributed across Switzerland. Of these, 170 squares form part of the Switzerland-wide monitoring programme. A further 24 squares are sampled as part of the ALL-EMA Grisons programme. Increasing the density of the samples in this way allows conclusions to be drawn at the cantonal level. The systematic distribution of all survey squares enables evaluations for the agricultural zones and the main regions where the agricultural environmental objectives apply.

Chronology

ALL-EMA has been running since 2015 in five-year survey cycles. This enables the monitoring of the current state of biodiversity and its long-term trends in the landscape. ALL-EMA Grisons has been running since 2023.

Data collection in the field

Within each 1 km² survey square, a 50 m grid defines the sampling points for data collection in the field. At each grid point, plant species diversity is recorded within an area of 1 m² to assess the habitats, and neophytes and small structures are recorded on an area of 200 m². At around 10 % of the grid points, plant species diversity is additionally recorded within a larger area (10 m²). Supplementary surveys on ecological focus areas outside of the grid increase the sample size, enabling the scientific evaluation of this measure.

→ ALL-EMA field manual: Indermaur (2026)

Along a 50 m grid in the agricultural landscape (1; red dots in green areas), ALL-EMA records habitats in an area of 1 m² as well as neophytes and small structures in 200 m². In addition, plant surveys are conducted within an area of 10 m² in ecological focus areas and at selected raster points (2; yellow areas, red stars). Areas outside the agricultural landscape (grey) are excluded; the surveys are carried out in circular areas of varying size (1, 10 and 200 m²; 3).

A field team of around 20 people collects the data (1). A GPS device is used to navigate to the sampling areas (2) and the field data are recorded directly in a smartphone app developed for ALL-EMA (3). The app is developed and continuously adapted by Perron2 GmbH.

Shared use of data between different monitoring programmes

Partner programmes for monitoring biodiversity across the entire landscape (Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland BDM), birdlife (Common Breeding Bird Survey MHB) and protected biotopes (Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland (WBS) enable comprehensive joint analyses of biodiversity in the Swiss landscape. Since the surveys are spatially and temporally coordinated, data on plants, habitats, butterflies, breeding birds and protected biotopes can be jointly evaluated. This improves our understanding of trends in biodiversity.

In ALL-EMA squares, data on butterflies from Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland BDM (1) and on breeding birds from the Common Breeding Birds Survey MHB (2) are additionally recorded along standardised routes. Since all surveys take place in the same area and in the same year, the data can be jointly evaluated.

Biodiversity Indicators

ALL-EMA analyses the diversity of species (plants, butterflies and breeding birds) and habitats in the Swiss agricultural landscape. The indicators include the following in particular:

• Species diversity in landscapes
• Local species diversity
• Heterogeneity of local species communities
• Species-specific indicator values and area proportions of specific species (nutrient indicator value, temperature indicator value and neophytes)
• Habitat diversity in landscapes
• Local habitat-typical species diversity
• Landscape heterogeneity regarding the habitats
• Area percentages of specific habitats (valuable habitats, woodland habitats and aquatic habitats)

→ Complete overview of the indicators as well as further information on calculation, informative value and use of indicators: Meier et al. (2025)

Key Findings

Biodiversity deficit at lower altitudes persists

ALL-EMA results to date show that biodiversity values, particularly at low-lying altitudes, remain low. Ecological focus areas (EFAs) have higher biodiversity values compared to the rest of the (non-EFA) areas in the agricultural landscape and exhibit positive trends over time in some cases. Viewed across the entire agricultural landscape, however, biodiversity remains largely constant at a low level, particularly at lower altitudes, where intensive agricultural use predominates.

→ Results on all ALL-EMA biodiversity indicators in Meier et al. (2025): Veränderung der Biodiversität in der Schweizer Agrarlandschaft: Von der ALL-EMA-Ersterhebung (2015–2019) zur Zweiterhebung (2020–2024). [‘Changing Biodiversity in the Swiss Agricultural Landscape: From the First ALL-EMA Survey (2015-2019) to the Second Survey (2020-2024)’]

The average number of plant species in the ALL-EMA survey squares differs significantly between the agricultural zones. Shown are the results of the first survey (2015–2019) and the second survey (2020–2024). Source: Meier et al. (2025).

High-quality, interconnected ecological focus areas have higher biodiversity values

Ecological focus areas (EFAs) comprise measures-oriented QI areas as well as additionally results-oriented QII areas. Both types of areas can additionally be incorporated into connectivity projects at landscape level.

The ALL-EMA results show that local plant species diversity in EFAs is higher than in the rest of the (non-EFA) areas in the agricultural landscape. Particularly high values are achieved in QII areas and in EFAs that are incorporated into connectivity projects. At landscape level, however, the evaluations show that EFAs involved in connectivity projects are associated with greater butterfly and breeding-bird diversity than EFAs not involved in connectivity projects.

→ Relevant publications:

• Meier et al. (2024): Mehr Biodiversität dank Biodiversitätsförderflächen in Vernetzungsprojekten [‘More Biodiversity thanks to Ecological Focus Areas in Connectivity Projects’]
• Meier et al. (2024): Collaborative approaches at the landscape scale increase the benefits of agri-environmental measures for farmland biodiversity
• Klaus et al. (2023): Additive effects of two agri-environmental schemes on plant diversity but not on productivity indicators in permanent grasslands in Switzerland

The average number of target- and indicator species of the Agricultural Environmental Objectives per 10m2 in different ecological focus areas (EFAs) and in areas not eligible for funding. Different letters denote significant differences between the groups. Source: Meier et al. (2024)

Understanding correlations between environmental conditions, land use and biodiversity

ALL‑EMA enables the analysis of relationships between environmental and site conditions, land use, ecological focus areas (EFAs) and species- and landscape diversity. The results show that topography, climate and land use both directly and indirectly shape biodiversity. In this context, EFAs are part of a larger causal network in which landscape structure and use intensity also play an important role. Holistic evaluation approaches are thus key for understanding biodiversity patterns in agricultural landscapes and for classifying measures from a technical perspective.

→ Relevant publications:

• Meier et al. (2022): Disentangling direct and indirect drivers of farmland biodiversity at landscape scale
• Herzog et al. (2024): Effekte ausgewählter Faktoren auf die Biodiversität in Schweizer Agrarlandschaften [‘Effects of Selected Factors on Biodiversity in Swiss Agricultural Landscapes’]
• Meier et al. (2025): Biodiversity-friendly landscapes: A paradox for conservation?

Model of direct and indirect influences on species diversity in Swiss agricultural landscapes. Shown are the total species diversity (black) as well as plant (green), butterfly (red) and breeding-bird diversity (yellow). The thickness of the arrows indicates the strength of the relationship, while ‘+’ and ‘-‘ indicate the impact of an influence. Source: Meier et al. (2022)

Further information

• Contact Employees

  Project Head

  Team

• Flyer and profile

• Method description

  Current

  Past surveys

• Publications (selected)

• Press releases

  01.07.2025: Biodiversity in the Agricultural Landscape: Lessons from Ten Years of Monitoring

  19.04.2021: Biodiversity on Swiss Farmland Recorded Nationwide for the First Time

  11.03.2019: Echte Magerwiesen bleiben selten

• Partner monitoring programmes

  Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland (BDM)

  Common Breeding Bird Survey (MHB)

  Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland (WBS)

• Contracting authorities

  Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

  Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

  Canton of Graubünden, Office for Nature and the Environment

Contacts

URL for direct access

www.allema.ch/en