Forests in focus
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/1c9356796ccb6589525f18409c6efea7-98712215-29295598-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/3b7182637322e0529facc2c06f7b6614-rtr2gn62-29295730-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/8ba3b8436f15653e7d1cf0322993838f-56861435-29295774-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/b86f053f6a784f8ce7af2128e12508e2-76341311-29295868-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/b7156d4319944dc7e4257f9b833154c1-102481270-29296476-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/ea1a493a750de3e4958c4a751163a123-1354913_print-29296030-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/fcd4dda60dd802ed98e9753a163216d0-rtr1vlqf-29296054-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/2fa5e423d63c646eefbaa3e9dd67c1b6-rtx9j5e-29296092-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/b18649695b1bfd13128033e40ee1b49e-9458763-29296108-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/e5d9e96fd320ac51d0062b1a5c22428b-32123323-29296120-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/6f2c59c3a6cb89b76e38da04c797a2b7-024_314529-29296190-data.jpg)
![](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2011/01/7aef8709e4484a8109cc268b00635ad1-034_460082-29296266-data.jpg)
2011 marks the UN International Year of Forests.
This content was published on
Forests cover just under a third of Switzerland. Coverage has been increasing over the past century and a half and continues to do so, especially in the Alps. Forests perform important functions, from providing wood and oxygen to offering a place of leisure. (Production: Rolf Amiet, swissinfo.ch, images: Keystone)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.