Steppes in the Pfyn Forest

Naturpark Pfyn-Finges - Living conditions in the steppe landscape are extreme for plants. The soil is stony and dry and it can get extremely hot in summer. In the Rottensand temperatures of up to 65 °C have been measured.

The steppe landscapes in Switzerland are to be found predominantly on the sunny slopes of Valais and the Grisons. Here the living conditions for the plants are extreme. The soil is stony and dry and it can get extremely hot in summer. In the Rottensand temperatures of up to 65 °C have been measured.
The low rainfall and the strong solar radiation are particularly tough for the plants in the summer semester. But the plants have developed a few survival strategies and have adapted well to the harsh conditions. Some plants e.g. the wild carrot, have very deep roots in order to reach the low-lying water reserves in the soil. Other plants produce leaves which are only small or which have a lot of hair. Frequently the leaves are also thickened (as with the cactus), leathery or covered with a wax layer. All these strategies have the same purpose, which is to minimise the loss of water.