Mires are wetlands with a vegetation which is usually peat-forming.
Mires are among the World's most endangered ecosystems . As a consequence of a referendum in 1987, three inventories have been established, each designating mire sites of national importance . The Swiss federal government introduced regulations that set strict terms and targets for the conservation and rehabilitation of mire sites . The federal law states that mires of national importance are to be preserved in their entirety. The Advisory Service for Mire Conservation of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research is commissioned by the Federal Office of Environment, Forests and Landscape to develop a sensitive nationwide long-term mire monitoring programme in order to reveal discrepancies between conservation targets and reality.