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The Rhône ravines Priority Ecological Site

The Rhône ravines Priority Ecological Site

Mediterranean refuges

You would think it was the South... simply take a look at the biological inventory of the site for a preview: Bindweed, Montpellier Maple, the Iberian wall lizard, the Etruscan shrew (the smallest mammal in the world weighing in at 2 grams!)...

Many species can be found here, each at the limit of their distribution area. A little more north and there is no trace of them. In the narrow and steep valleys that cut deeply into the Rhône foothills, they find a Mediterranean- influenced climate and their preferred habitat: moors, dry grasslands, and south-facing oak groves.

A sensitive ecosystem

A stream flows through the bottom of each ravine which is often difficult to access.  Trickles of water in the summer and raging torrents during storms, these streams are home to the white-clawed crayfish, which is very sensitive to pollution. The main threat to this environment comes from the outside, through the water. If the water-supply stops or the quality of the water deteriorates the whole ecosystem is disrupted. Each stream eventually joins the Rhône where the alluvial forest accommodates another notable inhabitant: the Beaver.

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