An exceptional biodiversity, a threatened region
In spite of the strong pressure exerted by man on nature, especially in the valleys and on the peaks which have sometimes been transformed into ski slopes, the Alps still offer immense areas of unspoilt nature. Here, at all levels, biodiversity is absolutely remarkable. The Alps as a whole are home to some 30,000 animal species (and 13,000 plant species), and not just the large and small mammals that spring to mind - chamois, ibex, mouflon, wolf or marmot - but also large birds of prey - including the emblematic golden eagles, griffon vultures and bearded vultures -, fifteen species of reptiles and some twenty amphibians, not to mention the bats that are severely threatened in the Alpine valleys
National parks, maximum protection
Of the 11 national parks in France, which are totally untouched by human activity in the central zone, the Alps are home to three. Other areas are protected from too much human activity, such as the regional parks, 5 in total on the territory, the Natural Areas of Ecological, Faunistic and Floristic Interest (Znieff) and the Natura 2000 areas. A whole that covers about 30% of the territory! This shows the ecological interest of this massif, but above all the numerous dangers - mass tourism in particular - from which the mountains had to be preserved.
The Vanoise National Park
was the first park created in France in 1963 to protect the Alpine ibex. In this wild territory, where winter living conditions are extremely harsh, it is not only the ibex that must be protected. There is also a very diverse fauna and flora with more than 2,000 varieties of flowers, some of which are only found in this area. There are also about a hundred species of birds, including the golden eagle and the bartavelle, as well as all the large mammals that inhabit the Alps. From the glaciers to the alpine meadows, it is a whole universe in its pure state.The Ecrins National Park
, created in 1973, has taken advantage of the strong ecological activity in the Hautes-Alpes to cover an area of the Alps that is among the richest and most beautiful, with many peaks that reach - or nearly reach - 4,000 m. With an area of 270,000 ha, it is the largest park in France. Located between Isère and Hautes-Alpes, its central position in the Alps - benefiting from continental, oceanic and Mediterranean influences - explains its exceptional richness and beauty: nearly 2,000 plant species, including 40 rare or endangered species, about sixty rare or endangered animal species including the ibex, which was reintroduced about fifteen years ago, and the emblematic golden eagle. It is a wild and rugged park that few hikers really reach its heart. The Mercantour National Park was created in 1979 between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Alpes-Maritimes. It is the southernmost alpine park in the chain. At the origin of this park, a hunting reserve that was preserved for the Italian king Victor-Emmanuel II and that was doubled to shelter a central zone of total protection on nearly 70 000 ha. A strangely shaped park that stretches from east to west and is home to some real wonders, including the Valley of... Wonders. In this park, one can find half of the plant species that can be found in France - that is to say 2,000 out of 4,000 -, chamois, but also mouflons from Corsica, ibexes and wolves from Italy. Birds such as the mythical bearded vulture can also be found here.Alpine Reserves - another way to protect nature
The Alps are still a wild land protected by an enclosure of reserves created by man.
In Isère, the Vercors Highlands Nature Reserve dominates the whole of a mountainous massif which has managed to preserve its wild aspect. Majestic nature, impenetrable forests, grandiose meadows of the largest nature reserve in France (17 000 hectares). On this vast territory, no permanent habitat, no road other than forest, for a total safeguard of an intact nature. Here live in freedom chamois, roe deer, ibex, red foxes, vultures, golden eagles, but also two symbols of the wild world: the lynx and the wolf. Man can only imagine the footsteps of these great predators in the snow, their nocturnal cries, their hunts, their loves, their lives. This reserve preserves a precious flora with nearly 600 species, 19 of which are protected.
The Bauges National Hunting and Wildlife Reserve, which contains the highest peaks of the massif in the heart of the Park, is home to many breeding birds and mountain mammals, in particular the chamois. The Bauges form a remarkable alpine massif, a citadel bounded by the triangle of alpine highways linking Chambéry, Annecy and Albertville. This perched haven of wilderness has been gradually abandoned by man in favour of safeguarding an exceptional natural heritage. A veritable mosaic of ecological environments, the Bauges massif is home to remarkable flora and fauna. Among the 1,600 plant species represented, i.e. about a third of the French flora, are the European cyclamen, and very rare specimens such as the Perier's iris, the sabot-de-vénus, the blue thistle and the gentian pneumonanthe
The nature reserve of the Daluis gorges, in the Alpes-Maritimes, is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. At the crossroads of the Alps and the Mediterranean, the reserve known as the Colorado of Nice is home to rare, even endemic species, such as the tongue-leaf saxifrage, which decorates the red cliffs with its white flowers in spring. These cliffs offer nesting places perfectly adapted to bats and birds of prey: golden eagles and peregrine falcons.
The Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve, in the Mont Blanc massif, covers an exceptional range of 1,100 to 3,000 metres in altitude, embodying wildlife at the limits of what is possible for the animal and plant world. On this extreme territory, between glaciers and scree, ibex, chamois, rock ptarmigan, golden eagle and rhododendron have adapted to the environment. The wild world cannot be satisfied with these frontier areas where its survival is constantly threatened and man must share the territory to preserve biodiversity and a grandiose nature.
Fauna and flora, a layered nature
With the exception of fish, and even then trout swim up the rivers of the Alps to impressive heights (around 1,000 m above sea level from the Alpine lakes), the animals of the Alps move up and down the mountains, varying the floors according to the seasons and the available pastures. However, each animal has its own preferred floor, where it feels at home. In the Alps, the large carnivores wolf and lynx (the bear is no longer found in the French Alps) move over a vast territory at varying altitudes
In the hilly region, below 800 m, we find roe deer, stags or weasels. Birds like the kingfisher follow the large rivers in the valley. At the mountain level, around 1,500 m, the large mixed forests of deciduous and coniferous trees are still home to deer, roe deer, wild boar, foxes, but also the Capercaillie. It is at the sub-alpine level, when the altitude exceeds 2,000 m, that the fauna and flora become more specific. The deciduous trees gradually disappear in favour of the conifers, which hide the splendid Venus' hooves, magnificent orchids of the Alps. Another flower that symbolises this medium altitude is the Alpine columbine. This blue buttercup only grows in the Alps on the slopes of the mountain pastures. If its large flowers rise up in the middle of summer, do not touch them, they are poisonous! Marmots appear slowly and you can meet chamois and mouflons. Between 2,500 and 3,000 m, the alpine stage marks the limit of the trees, but offers a great biodiversity. The alpine lawns are covered with an incredible variety of flowers. It is on this level that gourmets look for the Alpine currant and the blueberry, as well as many flowers that you should only observe (and not pick...): Alpine soldanelle, rhododendron, campanula... and the famous edelweiss. This flower, synonymous with romance and high summits, has covered itself with a white down to protect itself from the cold winds that blow on the limestone slopes between 2,000 and 3,000 metres. But there are still many species of gentian, including the gentian acaule, which is often painted on souvenirs with its beautiful blue colour. The marmots provide the flowers. The mountain hare, the chamois and the ibex are in their element. Finally, at the nival level, above 3,000 m where the so-called eternal snows begin (in fact, where the period of snow cover is longer than the period of snow removal...), the flora is essentially made up of mosses and lichens, even if the opposite-leaved saxifrage has adapted to these extreme conditions. On the short grasslands, the last rock ptarmigan - an endangered species - can be observed. It is on this floor, between the flights of yellow-billed ducks, that two large raptors, also threatened, can be observed: the golden eagle and the bearded vulture
Beware, the flora of the Alps is beautiful and varied, but it remains protected and many plants should not be collected - they will perish very quickly if they are uprooted anyway. There are signs at the entrance to the nature parks indicating which species are protected. To see the full extent of the flora, we recommend a visit to one of the alpine gardens along the mountain range.
