Regional Natural Park Jura Vaudois
The Parc Naturel Régional Jura Vaudois is a 530.6 km² regional park in the Vaud Jura , Switzerland , north of Nyon . It extends in the area between the pass roads of the Col de la Givrine in the south west and Col du Marchairuz in the northeast, including the broad ridge of the Jura, with a mean of 1300 m to 1400 m above sea level. M.
The park was founded in 1973. The regional park is accessible through various hiking trails and nature trails. There are several geological trails, a botanical educational trail, and a trail that explains the art of glassmaking .
geology
From a structural geological point of view, the area of the regional park covers a section of the Jura folds . The rock layers pending today were deposited in a tropical shallow sea during the Mesozoic , especially during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods . As part of the Jurassic folding during the Miocene and Pliocene these sediments were lifted and the further toward the northwest sediment layers postponed . This created the almost 10 km wide Jura chain between the Lake Geneva basin and the Vallée de Joux . This large anticline is divided into two to three secondary anticlines with synclines in between and some zones with flat rock layers.
In the course of time, the sometimes steep rock layers were eroded and the terrain was leveled relatively heavily in relation to other areas of the Folded Jura. In general, the ridges represent the anticlines and the depressions represent the synclines. Resistant limestones form characteristic elongated ridges, while softer layers have been more heavily eroded. The existing rock layers are predominantly the limestones of the Portlandien and Kimmeridgien (upper Malm ). Limes and marls of the Valanginia and Hauterivien (Cretaceous sediments) also come to light in the synclines .
Morphology and hydrology
The area of the regional park is characterized by terrain structures that run parallel in a south-west-north-east direction. Mostly wooded slopes and ridges alternate with the so-called Combes (elongated depressions) from, for example, the Combes of Amburnex and the Combe des Begnines . Some hollows reach considerable depression; the Combe de la Valouse is 70 m deep. The highest elevation in the regional park is 1567 m above sea level. M. reached on the Noirmont . This ridge extends to the northeast over the crests of Crêt des Danses ( 1534 m above sea level ), Mont Pelé ( 1532 m above sea level ), Mont Sâla ( 1511 m above sea level ) and Vue de Genève ( 1492 m above sea level ) above sea level ) to the Grande Rolaz . A second ridge stretches from the Crêt de la Neuve ( 1,495 m above sea level ) to the Col du Marchairuz.
Due to the limestone , various karst phenomena could develop in the area of the Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois . There are numerous sinkholes and cart fields , drainless hollows, infiltration funnels and individual caves. The annual mean rainfall is around 2000 mm on the High Jura. The rainwater seeps into the porous subsoil and mostly only reappears at the foot of the Jura range in karst springs ( Aubonne , Toleure ). Therefore, the heights of the foremost Jura chain show practically no surface rivers. Over time, some hollows were lined with layers of marl and clay , which sealed the permeable subsoil. This allowed bogs to develop here.
Flora and fauna
The park area is characterized by extensive forests and mountain pastures. While the forests are mainly to be found on the hard and less weathered limestone subsoil, the willows in the Combes tend to extend on soils that were able to form on the softer, marly substrate. The dry stone walls, which were mostly built in the 19th and 20th centuries , are particularly typical of the high Jura pastures . They were originally used to fence in the cattle pastures, later also to delimit the property. These walls create ideal habitats for reptiles and insects.
Spruce forests are predominant , but there are also mixed deciduous forests with beech , fir and maple . The flora of the forest and mountain pastures is partly subalpine in character. Protected plants such as orchids, laburnum, daphne , alpine balsam , fly ragweed , columbines and ostrich bluebells bloom here during the summer months . The only known location of the bog saxifrage (Saxifraga hirculus) in Switzerland is in the Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois.
Chamois, roe deer, stags, wild boars, foxes, hares, squirrels, badgers, martens and ermines are relatively common in the regional park. There are also some colonies of marmots and lynx, numerous species of birds, vipers and the rare adder.
Cultural landscape
The natural and cultural landscape in the regional park has developed since the Middle Ages through the clearing of certain forest sections and the conversion of these cleared areas into summer pastures for cattle. This is how the coexistence of forest and pasture management came about. From the 12th century onwards, the monasteries of Oujon, Bonmont and Saint-Claude played a leading role . Over time, various dairy farms were built on the heights where cheese was made. Today the pastures are used extensively, and forestry is also of certain importance.
History
The Parc jurassien vaudois was set up on the initiative of the geologist Daniel Aubert, who in 1971 wanted to largely prevent the establishment of ski facilities - as was the case on the French side at Noirmont - in this pristine and secluded area. In 1973, a contract was signed between the Vaudois section of Pro Natura, 13 neighboring municipalities and three private owners to protect the Jura landscape between the Col de la Givrine and the Col du Marchairuz. The original park area of around 40 km² has been enlarged to 75 km² today. In 2006, 18 municipalities were involved in the regional park; Large parts of the municipal areas of Arzier , Bassins and Le Chenit are in the protection zone of the regional park. Since 2013 the Parc Naturel Régional Jura Vaudois has been recognized as a park of national importance .
Web links
Coordinates: 46 ° 31 ' N , 6 ° 14' E ; CH1903: 507 653 / 152293