Natura 2000

on the Grand Site

The Grand Site de France Solutré Pouilly Vergisson includes a site Natura 2000. These are the “Calcicolous lawns of the Mâconnais” (FR2600972). Based on that of Natural Areas of Ecological, Fauna and Floristic Interest (ZNIEFF), the Natura 2000 perimeter is divided here into five entities, distributed over the territory, and represents approximately 160 ha. These limestone lawns, associated with forests, buxaies, cliffs and scree, have been registered since 2002 under the Sites of community importance.

A Natura 2000 site benefits from the implementation ofpreservation and management actions. The Single management document defines, within the framework of public policies in favor of biodiversity and landscape, the guideline of the actions carried out. Co-constructed with local stakeholders, it presents a diagnosis, sets objectives for preserving the natural and landscape heritage, and sets out a 10-year action plan. 

Limestone lawns

State of play

The lawns of the Macon coast are in a good overall state of conservation, but they only represent 25% of the surface area of ​​the entities today. The surface of dry lawns has regressed for the benefit of shrubby formations, particularly tube. The colonization of woody trees favored the fragmentation and fragmentation lawns. Certain sectors find themselves isolated “in the form of clearings” and are disconnected from other lawn entities.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, actions have been undertaken for the conservation of these environments as part of the Life Program « Forests and associated habitats of limestone Burgundy », then the implementation of the Site Objectives Document Natura 2000 with the support of Burgundy Natural Areas Conservatory. 

To guarantee their conservation, actions of preservation of these environments remain necessary. The lawns of the Côte Mâconnaise, in addition to their intrinsic interests, are part of a community of much larger limestone lawns in the region and play a major role in ecological corridors. In the extreme south of Burgundy, they provide a “hinge” function between the lawns of Dijon and Chalonnaise coasts to the north and the Rhône valley South.

Principles of maintaining limestone lawns

Extensive grazing

To fight ecologically and sustainably against alteration and disappearance by brush progressive limestone lawns, the pasture and mowing remain the best solutions. On all sites, they allow the maintenance of lawns and contribute, for farmers, to their economic development (production of hay for example). The implementation of pastoral management must consider different parameters to guarantee optimal management of these environments: the choice of animal type (sheep, horses, etc.), the breed, the number of animals, the surface area to be grazed, the type of vegetation present, the quantity of forage resources, the fragility of the soil, the pastoral equipment to be provided (fence, water trough, etc.), there period and longer term, pasture.

The development of a grazing plan, in conjunction with agricultural partners, makes it possible to define the intervention methods meeting agroecological objectives.

The mowing

On some sites, a mechanical intervention may be relevant and the use of mowing is feasible. To allow wildlife to escape, a late mowing is carried out in “concentric circles” from the center of the plot towards the outside.

Pastoral and mechanical management makes it possible to continue the F&B et maintenance limestone lawns of the Grand Site. Most often as part of a agricultural partnership, actions are implemented on all sites. For example, when shrub thickets are too dense, mechanical restoration by grinding proves necessary. It is a prerequisite for establishing grazing, but it also allows reconnect lawns to encourage the movement of animals.

Since 2002, on the Rock of Solutre and the Mont de Pouilly, the grazing Konik polski maintains lawns. These rustic horses, descendants of the Tarpan horse, constitute a very good management tool and offer many visitors a spectacle steeped in history. A grazing plan supervises the operation led by the municipality of Solutré-Pouilly and the Grand Site.

Regular follow-ups

To best manage natural environments and protect their biodiversity, it is important to know them well. Follow their progress with regard to the measures put in place makes it possible to evaluate the efficacy.

 ecological monitoring make it possible to evaluate the evolution of natural environments, to locate and characterize the stations of protected or heritage species. They enrich the data library concerning more unknown faunal groups. New issues can thus potentially be discovered.
 technical follow-ups, in relation with partners, are also necessary to support them in the management of sites and guarantee the successful completion of scheduled work. These measures serve to ensure traceability of management operations and the variation of Single management document in compliance with the recommendations. Monitoring management practices makes it possible to adapt them, adjust or reorient them if necessary.
At the same time, as part of the Habitats Directive Fauna Flora, “state of conservation assessments” are regularly carried out on Natura 2000 sites. On the Grand Site, this assessment, carried out in two stages, focused on the state of natural habitats limestone lawns then on an indicator linked to day butterflies.

Tools

The implementation of the action program is possible thanks to tools Nature 2000.

•  Natura 2000 contracts allow the financing of operations in favor of the restoration or maintenance of natural habitats. They are aimed at the owners or rights holders of the plots located within the site.
•  Agro-environmental and climate measures (MAEC) are aimed at farmers and aim to perpetuate the extensive agricultural practices at the origin of these environments, through mowing or grazing.
• La Natura 2000 Charter, currently being validated, is aimed on the one hand at owners and on the other hand at leisure users of the site for a voluntary commitment in favor of biodiversity.

Un Cadre réglementaire was also defined to prevent impacts on the biodiversity of Natura 2000 sites. Projects or events that could harm habitats of community interest are thus subject to a impact assessment.

As part of the Natura 2000 system, funding also allow the realization office assessment of the conservation status of habitats and species of community interest.
Every year, a Monitoring committee of the Natura 2000 site meets to present the progress of the actions of the past year to elected officials and stakeholders in the region. 

an essential partner

Since its creation in 1986, the Burgundy Natural Areas Conservatory, an association under the 1901 law recognized as being of general interest, works to preserve Burgundian biodiversity. It is part of a national federation of Conservatories of natural spaces present in France.
The Conservatory's mission is to:

• know and understand natural environments and species to better preserve them,
• manage and maintain natural environments through techniques respectful of biodiversity,
• protect sites by becoming the owner or administrator of agricultural parcels,
• To raise awareness citizens to preserve nature and discover the riches of the region,
• support local actors and public policies in favor of biodiversity.

In December 2013, the State and the Regional Council approved the Conservatory under article L.414-11 of the Environmental Code. They recognize the interest of his actions and affirm their support for him.
The Conservatory today manages more than 180 sites, representing approximately 5700 hectares spread across Burgundy, including three of the four national nature reserves. These are plots of land that he acquired or belonging to communities, or private individuals, who wished to entrust him with their management within the framework of partnership agreements. The environments concerned are very varied. Forests, peat bogs, heaths, marshes, wet meadows or calcareous lawns are the subject of the attention of around thirty employees with a strong territorial anchor thanks to the presence ofone antenna per department.
These sites have a ecological interest recognized at regional, even national or European level. The vast majority of them are part of the network Natura 2000 or benefit from protection status or classification as species or natural environments.