Discover France : Nature (Biodiversity / Fauna & Flora)

At higher altitudes, moors and peat bogs

In the highlands, mountains and associated hills - Monts d'Ambazac, Saint-Goussaud, Blond, Guéret, Toulx-Sainte-Croix, Châlus... - we find the traditional landscapes of moorland and peat bogs, with their exceptional wealth of flora and fauna. This is Limousin's most typical natural landscape.

The relief of the Limousin is alveolar, the result of slow erosion of the earth's crust: hard, resistant rocks form the heights; soft rocks are slowly eroded by water runoff. Water accumulates in hollows, called alveoli by geographers. Over time, alluvium is deposited there, vegetation develops and the whole forms a peat bog (the largest is that of Longeyroux: 255 hectares).

The oldest peat bogs were formed 8,000 years ago, and have enabled the formation and development of typical vegetation, with an abundance of boreal and boreo-alpine species, many of which are relict species. The flora is exceptional: polium-leaved andromeda, summer spiranthe, bog lycopod, gentian pneumonanthe, two-veined sedge, paucilorous sedge, small-fruited cranberry... And so is the fauna: viviparous lizard, arctic dragonfly, meadow pipit..

Among the most beautiful peat bogs in the Limousin region are the peat bogs on the Millevaches plateau in Corrèze, the Auzoux peat bog and the Bourdeau pond peat bog on the Gentioux plateau in Creuse, and the Pioffray peat bog on the Monts de Blond and the peat bog at the source of the Dauges stream on the Monts d'Ambazac in Haute-Vienne. The latter is classified as a national nature reserve and covers some 200 hectares, 30 km northeast of Limoges. Over 1,900 species have been recorded here! Here, you can meet the aerial cottongrass, the discreet otter, the twirling arctic cord-grass, the colorful checkerspot or the noisy black woodpecker... and maybe even discover the "droséra", the emblematic carnivorous plant of this area.

As for the moors, the traditional landscape of the Limousin's high plateaux, they often occupy well-drained summits or slopes. In western Limousin, they are of the Atlantic type, characterized by callune, dwarf gorse and ash heather. In the east, they are more continental, still based on callune, but accompanied in this case by hairy broom. At higher altitudes, they take on mountainous nuances, with the addition of species from the beech series: bilberry, arnica, yellow gentian and the rare clubmoss. They are often colonized by juniper, holly or borage.

These moors are home to a fairly typical fauna. Reptiles such as green lizards, vipers and garter snakes thrive here. Heath birds include species that prefer open spaces with scattered trees and bushes, such as the hen and hen harrier, the tree pipit, the stilt wheatear and the linnet. Exceptional species include the short-toed eagle, which specializes in hunting reptiles, the grey harrier, the common sparrow, the crazy sparrow and the pitchou warbler, which is much easier to hear than to see.

Large rivers

The hydrography of the Limousin is exceptional. Among the most remarkable valleys are :

- in Corrèze: the Dordogne and its tributaries (Cère, Chavanon, Diège, Luzège, Maronne...), the Vézère and the Corrèze,

- in Creuse: Grande Creuse, Tardes, Cher, Taurion,

- Haute-Vienne: Vienne, Gartempe, Maulde.

These major rivers form valleys that are often deep and gorge-like. The slopes of these valleys are mainly covered by forests dominated by deciduous trees: oak and chestnut in good exposure, beech in the north. Hornbeam grows at the bottom of the slopes, while lime and ash occupy the river banks on filtering soil. Less demanding willows and alders populate the marshy banks.

The fauna of these valleys is remarkable: roe deer, wild boar, badger, fox and numerous mustelids such as the genet (a small carnivorous mammal the size of a cat). The high valleys still boast otter populations that are exceptional for France and even for Europe. Due to their steep gradient, the rivers are fast-flowing and well oxygenated. The clear, high-quality waters are ideal for salmonids: trout, grayling and even salmon. As for birds, they are numerous and varied, especially birds of prey. The most exceptional are the booted eagle, the peregrine falcon and the eagle owl.

The ponds

There are many ponds in the region. They are very interesting natural areas, especially when they are old. The most exceptional pond in the region is undoubtedly the étang des Landes, in the Gouzon basin in Creuse. With its Tertiary era origins, it's the epitome of a natural site. All the other ponds are man-made. The most typical, with well-developed vegetation belts and a rather abundant and varied associated fauna, are ponds of sufficiently large surface area and ancient origin, created for the most part as early as the Middle Ages by monks.

The avifauna includes breeding species as well as overwintering birds and birds of passage: herons (grey heron, purple heron, bittern, least bittern, etc.), grey cranes, crakes, water warblers, marsh harriers, ospreys. There's also a remarkable flora: buttercup, bladderwort (various species), water chestnut, swimming flute, arrowhead, marsh epipactis, marsh lousewort, common gratiola, European cistude, and many others.

Forest areas

A land of trees and water, Limousin is heavily wooded. At lower altitudes, Limousin's hardwoods are mixed oak stands with pedunculate oak and sessile oak (the latter is rarer, characteristic of larger, older stands).

Chestnut is a frequent associate species, dominant in certain areas (the "Limousin chestnut forest", which corresponds to the south-western arc of the region). Birch is almost always found in open areas.

Aspen and hornbeam, more localized, characterize certain facies. At higher altitudes, generally above 600 meters, beech co-dominates with oaks and tends to replace them through natural evolution.

The undergrowth of these acidiphilous forests is also characterized by the presence of borage, holly, broom and, at higher altitudes, bird mountain ash. The acidic soils and diversity of forest species support an abundance of mycological flora, particularly numerous species of boletus, including the Bordeaux boletus. On enriched soils, the oak and charcoal forests present a more diversified flora, with hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, fusain, blood dogwood, medlar (locally), field maple... There are many undergrowth plants, characteristic of soft humus soils: ivy, arum, wood hyacinth, wood euphorbia, anemone sylvie, lily of the valley, Solomon's seal, etc.

In southern Corrèze, on limestone, there are open pubescent oak woods with privet, viburnum, brachypodus, cephalanthera, madder, etc. The pubescent oak is the preferred partner of a highly sought-after mushroom: the black truffle.

In the woods of the Limousin, provided they are large enough and quiet enough, you'll find the characteristic animals of the deciduous forests of Western Europe: roe deer, red deer, wild boar, badger, fox, squirrel, marten, weasel... We should also mention a few amphibians, such as the salamander and the red-legged frog. And let's not forget the forest cat, the largest wild feline in the Limousin, a protected species since 1979. It can be recognized by its light, fawn to grey, lightly striped coat, black dorsal stripe and, above all, its bushy tail, marked with 3 to 5 wide black rings. Crepuscular and nocturnal, the forest cat is a very discreet and solitary mammal, but who knows, maybe you'll be lucky enough to spot one?

The forests of the Limousin are also home to many birds. Birds of prey are generally well represented: common buzzard, goshawk, wood pigeon, turtle dove, and woodpeckers: great spotted, pileated and spotted. Black woodpeckers can be found in certain woods in the east of the region.

Hedges and bocage

The Limousin is traditionally considered to be bocage country. Like Georges Sand, let yourself be moved by the low walls made of stones laid one by one along the paths and meadows. This patchwork of natural hedges and isolated trees brings together peaceful herds and tumultuous wildlife. Enclosure and shelter from the wind for some, lookout post, corridor, shelter and cover for others, the hedge is essential to nature's subtle balance. If we can still enjoy this "meshed" landscape, it's because the Limousin has largely escaped land consolidation.

In the north of the region (Basse-Marche, Bas-Berry), there's a characteristic bocage made up of a regular network of hedges delimiting large plots of land (several hectares). They are made up of thorny bushy plants (hawthorn, blackthorn, bramble, holly, wild rose) or not (hazel, hornbeam, dogwood, fusain, privet, tamarisk), dominated by large trees that were once regularly pruned: pedunculate oak and, more rarely, hornbeam and ash. The flora at the base of the hedge includes chickweed, eagle fern, germander, soft coot, wood hyacinth, spotted arum, bedstraw, nettle and common lapsane. Holly can be found very locally in thermophilous hedges.

On medium-altitude plateaus, the bocage is less typical, consisting of small woods (of oak, chestnut, birch and beech) or copses alternating with plots of meadow or arable land.

Hedgerows, which can be likened to forest edges, provide excellent shelter and are particularly popular with game. They are well characterized by their avifauna. Among the most abundant passerines: blackbird, chaffinch, great tit and blue tit, black-capped warbler, starling, whip-poor-will, robin, wren, nightingale, garden creeper. Old hollow trees are home to tawny owls, barn owls and little owls.