Keen to pamper and promote its natural heritage, the Parc de la Montagne de Reims launched its Municipal Biodiversity Atlas (ABC) in March 2019.
Want to learn more about this approach, which is a continuation of the diagnosis of the Green and Blue Network and the inventory of Wetlands? That’s good, we’ll tell you everything below!
ABC: what exactly is hidden behind these three letters?
Let's raise a first doubt: even if an "ABC" helps to move a territory, nothing to do with the catchy song of the Jackson 5! It was the Lorraine Regional Natural Park which invented the “Communal Atlas” project. In 2010, the Ministry of the Environment took up this concept, which became the famous ABC (Atlas of municipal biodiversity). Since 2017, this has been supported by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB).
Concretely, what is it about? On the one hand, an ABC is a inventory of the different species and environments that exist throughout an entire territory. On the other hand, an ABC allowsanimate this territory around the issue of biodiversity and to develop a map of the issues at its scale. This is why an ABC represents a true tool to aid decision for municipalities and intermunicipalities, with a view to protecting and enhancing their natural heritage.
In other words, implementing an ABC in a territory responds to three goals :
- Learn more about its biodiversity (fauna, flora, mushrooms, etc.);
- Raise awareness and mobilize elected officials, stakeholders and residents to preserve this biodiversity;
- Identify, thanks to historical data and inventories carried out, its specific issues in order to best match its development with the riches that can be found there.
The Atlases of municipal biodiversity of the Montagne de Reims
On the side of the Montagne de Reims, the Park initiated several ABCs in 2019. In total, these are even 18 municipalities in the Marne valley and its surroundings who volunteered: enough to form a coherent continuity for the study of biodiversity!
The project, which took place over 3 years, therefore took place in Ambonnay, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Ay-Champagne, Bouzy, Champillon, Courtagnon, Cumières, Damery, Dizy, Fontaine-sur-Ay, Germaine , Hautvillers, Mutigny, Nanteuil-la-Forêt, Saint-Imoges, Tours-sur-Marne, Val-de-Livre and Venteuil. Each of these municipalities thus benefited from a more precise vision of species which it must take care of, and their issues.
The realization of these ABCs was possible thanks to:
- Funding from the French Biodiversity Office (76%);
- The participation of the Parc de la Montagne de Reims (18%);
- Self-financing of voluntary communities (6%), including the Community of Communes of the Great Marne Valley and 4 independent municipalities.
Positive results for the biodiversity of the Park!
After 3 years of inventories in the 18 ABC communes, the results are very encouraging, whether for the flora or the fauna.
The flora
717 plant species have been listed, including 176 species of moss. Some of them were even still unknown in the territory of the Park, like theButtercup anemone (Anemone ranunculoides) or the High Violet (Viola elatior), protected in France.
Other species, meanwhile, had not been seen since 2009! It is therefore with pleasure that the Park agents and volunteers identified the Dwarf Bugrane (Ononis pusilla) in Avenay-Val-d’Or, the Great moat (Ranunculus lingua) in Hautvillers orOphrys bumblebee (Ophrys fuciflora) in Ambonnay, Avenay-Val-d’Or and Champillon.
Wildlife
Our animal friends are not left out! Here are some of the data collected:
- Amphibians : 11 species, such as the Spotted Newt and the Spotted Pelodyte;
- Butterflies of day : 65 species, such as the Blue Serpolet and the Great Tortoise;
- Orthoptera (locusts, grasshoppers): 34 species, such as the Barbatiste of the Pyrenees;
- reptiles (snakes, lizards): 6 species, such as the Smooth Coronella or the Stump Lizard;
- Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies): 41 species, such as the Broad-tailed Leucorrhine (protected species);
- Bird : 119 species, such as the Athena's Owl and the Hoopoe.
To know the detail of results by municipality, download the municipal summaries without further delay!
And now it’s up to you to participate!
Do you want to appreciate the riches of your town for yourself? So on your marks, set, fire… take stock!
If you are used to seeing certain species in your town, in your garden or while walking, do not hesitate to pass on your discoveries by one of these 3 means:
- By email : to our Natural Environments division, at the address [email protected] ;
- By Internet : by integrating them into the Champagne-Ardenne regional wildlife database ;
- By smartphone : via the iNaturalist application, to be downloaded from theApp Store ou Google Playand an tutorial on how to get started awaits you on the Faune Champagne-Ardenne website.
Good observations to you, we look forward to learning about your findings!
With the financial support of the French Office for Biodiversity
What if we continued together?
