Brière Regional Nature Park
The Regional Nature Park Brière ( French Parc naturel régional de Brière ) extends in the French department Loire-Atlantique , in the Pays de la Loire region . It is located in the marshland and lagoon landscape of La Brière . This is located on the French Atlantic coast south of Brittany , between the confluence of the Vilaine and Loire rivers . This landscape is especially developed for tourism through guided boat tours. The park administration is based in Saint-Joachim ( 47 ° 22 ′ 19 ″ N , 2 ° 12 ′ 51 ″ W, ).
The nature park was founded in 1970 and covers an area of 49,000 hectares. 18 municipalities with a catchment area of 75,000 inhabitants make up the park. They are:
- Assérac
- La Baule-Escoublac
- La Chapelle-des-Marais
- Crossac
- Donges
- Guérande
- Herbignac
- Missillac
- Montoir-de-Bretagne
- Pornichet
- Saint-André-des-Eaux
- Saint-Joachim
- Saint-Lyphard
- Saint-Malo-de-Guersac
- Saint-Molf
- Saint-Nazaire
- Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne
- Trignac
landscape
The basin of the Brivet River , which supplies the Brière with water, extends over 80,000 hectares, of which around 20,000 hectares are wetlands . This landscape is made up of more than 20 independent water areas that are connected by canals . This explains the complexity of the water supply, which takes place over several altitude levels. The areas further south are also supplied with water from the mouth of the Loire funnel . Brackish water already prevails there , which is why these wetlands have a higher salinity. Four large zones can be differentiated:
- the wetlands on the Upper Brivet
- the wetlands of Donges
- the ensemble of the Grande Brière Mottière
- the separate wetlands that enclose the ensemble.
Due to the climatic conditions, there is a regular sequence of high water , low water and dry season in the year. The water rise begins in autumn and continues in winter, in spring the level drops again and reaches its lowest level at the end of summer. The annual difference in water level is 60 to 80 cm, but can reach up to two meters. Channels and canals run between the elevations and form numerous bodies of water, called “piardes”. In the past, peat was extracted on these flat bodies of water, mainly in the Grande Brière Mottière area . In spring, the flora in these zones explodes. Aquatic insects , amphibians and fish provide an inexhaustible supply of food for a large number of birds ( terns , herons , coots ) and mammals, e.g. B. the otter .
The natural wet meadows take up about 9,000 hectares, which is about 46% of the area of the Brière. This extensive pastureland is periodically flooded according to the annual cycle. In the area between Trignac and Saint-Malo-de-Guersac, traditional agriculture with grazing and hay production occupies an important position. Near the mouth of the Loire funnel, the presence of tamarisk and marshmallow indicates the penetration of brackish water during spring tides. Regular guests are the brown hare , weasel and ermine , as well as various species of birds such as black godwit , ruff , short-eared owl and pintail .
Today, the reed areas cover almost half of the Brière. In this hidden world live vole , bearded tit , bittern and marsh harrier . In the past, when the reeds were still used to cover the hut roofs and as litter for the animals, the reed areas only took up a small part of the Brière. However, since the reeds are no longer harvested today, organic material is increasingly finding its way into the subsoil. As a result, this zone, especially in the north and west, is infiltrated by clusters of sedge ( sedges ) and even trees ( willow , birch ).
On the territory of the Natural Park, the Mès and Guérande salt marshes are a remarkable attraction and cultural heritage. Generations of paludiers (salt workers) have established and maintained these salt basins for around 1000 years . They shaped and used the environment to produce salt: the sea, clay, sun and wind. The salt fields and the adjacent areas offer a great variety of surroundings and are home to the typical vegetation of moist brackish water zones. Due to the abundant food supply, a large number of birds overwinter in this area.
See also
Web links
- Brière Regional Nature Park (French)