Protected spaces of the Pyrenees

The protected spaces of the Pyrenees relates to and counts the Protected spaces , also called Natural spaces, present in the zone of the the Pyrenees . These spaces are listed and managed by various international organizations, main roads and regional, whose programs have different statutes, but nevertheless of which the general goal is common, namely to preserve natural and cultural specificity such spaces. It can thus happen that the same site is classified by several organizations, or that several sites are recut between them: for example, the site Pyrenees-Mount Lost classified by UNESCO (international organization dependant on UNO) is at horse on part of the National park of the Pyrenees, recognized and managed by the French state, and part of the National park of Ordesa and Mount-Lost, recognized and managed by the Spanish state, the latter container them same of many sites indexed by the European network Natura 2000. In France, protected spaces are introduced by the Code of the environment, Livre III: Natural spaces , whose definition is: “Protected spaces as a whole constitute a network of spaces equipped with a strong lawful protection and which has the role of preserving and of studying the natural environments and the species which live there, to ensure the conservation and the durable management of the often exceptional natural heritage, to accommodate the public and to sensitize the citizens with the value of these natural wealths and the need for their conservation”.

Sites indexed by UNESCO

UNESCO, or in French the United Nations for education, science and the culture, is an international organization of which one of the goal is to index and preserve the cultural heritage and natural throughout the world. The organization thus indexes several natural and cultural sites located in the Pyrenees, primarily through the two following programs:

The list of the world heritage of UNESCO

Statut: the Liste of the world heritage is established by the Comité of the world heritage of UNESCO. The goal of the program is to catalog, name, and preserve the sites known as cultural or natural of importance for the common heritage of the Humanité. Under certain conditions, the indexed sites can obtain funds of the organization World Heritage Fund . The program was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the Cultural and Natural World heritage , which was adopted with the general conference of UNESCO the November 16th 1972. It counts 3 sites in the Pyrenees:

  • Pyrenees-Mount Lost (Spain - France): creation year 1995, extension year 1997.

  • Catalan Romance Churches of the Valley of Boí (Spain): creation year 2000.
  • Valley of Madriu-Perafita-Claror (Andorra): creation year 2004.

Program on the man and the biosphere

Statut: the Program Man and Biosphere (shortened in program MaB ), in French the program on the man and the biosphere , is a project of the UNESCO which has the aim of associating, in a unified approach, the concerns of protection of the Nature and those of development of the populations and local economies. It was initiated in 1968, and was created officially in 1971. In the Pyrenees, the indexed sites are only side espanol (however a reserve is in French side project):

  • Reserve of the biosphere of the valleys of the rivers Jubera, Leza, Cidacos and Alhama , and (120 000 ha, Eastern sierras of Rioja, the Autonomous Community of Rioja - Spain)

  • Reserve of the biosphere of Ordesa-Viñamala , (52 ha, Aragon - Spain): creation year 1977.
  • Montseny (30117 ha, Catalonia - Spain, localization 41°47' NR; 02°25' E): creation 1978.

National parks

Statut: The solid mass of the Pyrenees comprises 3 national parks including 2 located in Spain and who have the role of devoting itself to the protection of the exceptional natural heritage which is entrusted to them. The national parks have also a role in the knowledge of protected natural spaces since they are the support of scientific studies and research.

* National park of the Pyrenees (206 352 ha, Yrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées - France)

  • Spanish Side:

* National park of Ordesa and of Mount-Lost (2 100 ha, province of Huesca, the autonomous Community of Aragon - Spain)
* National park of Aigüestortes and lake Saint-Maurice (40 852 ha, autonomous community of Catalonia - Spain)

Regional natural parks

Statut: The regional natural reserve have the aim of emphasizing and to protect from inhabited big spaces. These are generally rural territories of which the quality of the landscapes, natural environment and inheritance are remarkable but whose balance is fragile.

* Regional natural park of the Catalan Pyrenees (137 100 ha, the Eastern Pyrenees, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)

* Regional natural park of the Pyrenees ariégeoises (2 500 km ² are 250.000 ha, Ariège/the Midday-Pyrenees - France): in project, the Official site of the project of Regional natural park of the Pyrenees Ariégeoises confers.

  • Spain Side:

* Natural park of Peñas de Aya: to see (6 913 ha, the Basque autonomous Community - Spain)

* Natural park of the Lord of Bértiz, to see for the moment (2 040 ha, the Community Forale de Navarre - Spain): included the Botanical garden of Bértiz.
* Natural park of Posets-Maladeta (33 000 ha, Valle de Benasque, the autonomous Community of Aragon - Spain)
* Natural park of the Sierra and the throats of Guara (47 450 ha, province of Huesca, the autonomous Community of Aragon - Spain)
* Natural park of Cadi-Moixero (41 060 ha, provinces of Barcelona, Gérone and Lérida, Catalonia - Spain)
* Natural park of the volcanic Zone of Garrotxa (12 000ha, comarque of Garrotxa, Catalonia - Spain): included volcanos of Santa Margarida, the Garrinada, the Croscat, the Montolivet, the Montsacopa. See also Fageda of in Jordà.
* Natural park of the Cape de Creus (13 886 ha Catalonia - Spain)

  • Side Andorra

* Natural park of Sorteny (1 080 ha, Valley of Sorteny Andorra)

Natural reserves

Statut: a Natural reserve is a territory protected to preserve a remarkable and threatened natural heritage, which they are animal and vegetable alive species, of Minéraux, Fossile S, or the natural environment, being able to include traditional activities… A natural reserve can have a local, regional or national importance.

The classification of a zone in natural reserve must make it possible to withdraw it from any degradation of a natural nature (fires, natural filling of a lake, natural closing of a dry lawn, etc) or by the activity of the man (voluntary pollution or not, case of arson, exploitation, etc) who could harm the safeguarding of his natural heritage.

Natural reserves constitute one of the tools for protection of the natural environments, and are complementary to other forms of protection like the national parks, the regional parks, the Conservatoire of the littoral.

There exists more than one score of natural reserves on all 6 French department of the the Pyrenees:


Sources: APEM and DIREN régionales, et.

Orders of the prefect of protection of biotope

These orders of the prefect are governed by the Code of the Environment, Livre IV, Article L411-1 and L411-2 .
Statut: “France counts more than fifty tools for protection of natural spaces, by distinguishing lawful, contractual and international protections. The decree of protection of the biotopes is most recent of the lawful procedures. It supplements the device formed mainly by voluntary natural reserves, natural reserves, the classified national parks and sites. ” Source: Internet site of DIREN LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

There currently exists:

* 13 APPB in Aquitaine
* a score in the Midday-Pyrenees
* 20 in Lanquedoc-Roussillon

Sites of the regional academy of natural spaces

Statut: The regional academy of natural spaces is an association in charge of the conservation, protection, management and valorization of the remarkable natural sites. Concentrating its activity on fauna and the flora in danger, the CREN works actively in favor of the biodiversity and while falling under a scientific step, the CREN contributes to a better knowledge of the regional natural heritages.

  • the CREN Aquitaine protects and manages more than one about fifty natural sites in Aquitaine of which ten in the Pyrenees (Yrénées-Atlantiques) in particular:

* the valley of Copen (9 ha, communes of Lées-Athas, Lescun, Valley of Winder, Yrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitanian France)
* the cliff of Arguibelle (13,68 ha, communes of Lanne-in-Barétous, Montory, Yrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitanian France)
* the cave of Mikelauensilo (0,1 ha, commune of Lecumberry. Yrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitanian France)
* or the gallery Petechanea (0,10 ha, commune of Banca. Yrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitanian France)
*… etc

  • the CREN the Midday-Pyrenees manages 10 sites distributed on all the area and in particular in the Pyrenees ariègeoises with:

* the valley of Hers (Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees France)
* the forest of Frau (Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees France)
  • the CREN Languedoc-Roussillon carries out 2 actions:
# Inventory of the natural Zones of interests ecological, faunistic and floristic (ZNIEFF);
# Inventory of the ponds of Languedoc-Roussillon.

Registered and classified landscape sites

Statut: “The law of 1930 on the sites makes it possible to protect from spaces of a great diversity: parks and gardens, natural spaces, countries and soils marked by the human print, landscape jewel cases of the monuments for which the only protection of the accesses would be insufficient or unsuited. ”
Source: http://www.lot-et-garonne.pref.gouv.fr/1-7553-Sites-inscrits-et-classes.php
See also Spaces protégés#Les Registered sites and Classified sites.

There would be more than 173 classified sites and 491 sites registered on all 6 French department of the Pyrenees, it are either of the domanial biological Reserves, or of the forest Reserves biological. There is ten in the Pyrenees.

  • the domanial Reserves of hunting are managed by ONCFS.

* domanial Reserve of the Mount Valier (9 037 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* national Reserve of hunting and wildlife of Orlu: isard, marmot, grouse, capercaillie (4 248 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* national Reserves of hunting of Alt Pallars - Aran (106 661 ha, spread out over four comarques: Pallars Sobirà, Valley of Aran, Alta Ribagorça and the Alt Urgell, Catalonia - Spain)
* national Reserve of hunting for big game of Benasque (province off Huesca, Aragon, Spain)
* national Reserve of hunting of Cadi (46 591 ha, is spread out over three comarques: the Alt Urgell, the Berguedá and the Cerdanya. Catalonia - Spain)
* national Reserve of hunting of Cerdanya - Alt Urgell (19 003 ha, Catalonia - Spain)
* national Reserve of hunting of Freser-Setcases (12 500 ha, Valley of Nuria, Catalonia - France)
* national Reserve of Caza Los Circos (16 000 ha, province of Huesca, Aragon - Spain)
* Hunting preserve of the forest of Picaussel (Country of Sault, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)

  • the domanial biological Reserves (Directed or Integral) are a statute which applies to the forest field of the State managed by ONF. The forest biological Reserves are managed by the communities.

* Hunting preserve of the forest of Burat Palarquère (173 ha, Haute-Garonne, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Hunting preserve of the forest of Bagnères de Luchon (617 ha, Haute-Garonne, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Reserve of Isard (Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Reserve of Bernadouze (Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Reserve of Carcanet (Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Reserve of Pinata: management of a territory with capercaillie (Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
* Reserve of the throats of Frau (Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)

Natural zones of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest

One finds in the French Pyrenees, of the natural Zones of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest (ZNIEFF) of the type 1 and type 2: they correspond to the census of remarkable terrestrial natural spaces, scientifically validated in each area by the regional Scientific advice of the natural heritage then nationally by the national Muséum of natural history.

ZNIEFF of the type 1

Statut: in fact spaces of surface reduced, homogeneous from an ecological point of view, and shelter at least a rare or threatened species and/or a habitat, of interest as well local as regional, national or Community.

One counts approximately 946 of them on all 6 department of the French Pyrenees.

  • Examples:

* Circus of Gavarnie, Taillon, Marboré (2088,97 ha, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Circus of Vignemale (2088,97 ha, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Peak of Ger (2613m, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Massive of the Peak of the South of Ose (Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Lake Montbel (550 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Forest of Bélesta (1 108,62 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Ponds of Bassiès and red Peak of Bassiès (1 406,14 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Plate of Lhers (539,17 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Ponds of Camporeils (the Eastern Pyrenees, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
* Summit of the Veined (2469 m, the Eastern Pyrenees, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
*… etc
Source: APEM, Sig-pyrenees.net, 2007

ZNIEFF of the type 2

Statut: in fact great rich, or little modified natural units offer important biological potentialities. They can include zones of the type I and have a functional role as well as an ecological and landscape coherence.

One counts approximately 166 of them on all 6 department of the French Pyrenees.

  • Examples:

* High valley of the Ger and solid mass of Bazet (4 316,76 ha, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Massive of Vignemale, central zone of the park (10 170,03 ha, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Massive of the Arbizon (6 531,09 ha, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Forest of Carcanet (1 008,31 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Razes de Mirepoix (2 094,64 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Low country of Olmes (13 189,01 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Terraces of Ariège (354,67 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Valley of Biros (10 692,68 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* the Vallespir (26 104,7 ha, the Eastern Pyrenees, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
*… etc
Source: APEM, Sig-pyrenees.net, 2007

The network Natura 2000

Statut: the Réseau Natura 2000 is a network of ecological sites (natural or semi-natural) having a great financial asset by the natural habitats or the fauna and the exceptional Flore which they contain. The constitution of the network Natura 2000 aims to maintain the biological diversity mediums, while taking account of the requirements economic, social, cultural and regional in a logic of Sustainable development.

There exists 116 sites Natura 2000 on all 6 French department of the Pyrenees.


Dans the Pyrenees, one can count 40 ZICO including 9 following ZPS:

* Low plain of the Aude (4 486 ha, Herault (55%) and Aude (45%), Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
* Low-corbières (29 380 ha, Aude (50%) and the Eastern Pyrenees (50%), Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
* Mountain of the clape (9 047 ha, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
* Canigou-Conches of Swift (20 224 ha, communes of Mantet, Prats-of-Mollo-the-Swift and Py, the Eastern Pyrenees, Languedoc-Roussillon - France) the
* Site high Natura 2000 valleys of Winder and of Ose (49 218 ha, Yrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitanian -)
* Natura Site 2000 Natural reserve of Ose (or Rod) (82 ha, Yrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitanian - France)
* Site Natura 2000 of the Circus of Gavarnie (9 285 ha, Hautes-Pyrénées, the Midday-Pyrenees -)
* Site Natura 2000 of the valley of the isard, email of Bulard, peaks of Mauberme, Greenhouse-high and the CRA (6 428 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)
* Site Natura 2000 of the Quiess limestones of Tarascon-on-Ariège and cave of small the caougno (2 484 ha, Ariège, the Midday-Pyrenees - France)

Adjacent protected spaces

Are classified here Natural spaces near the zone solid mass (Confers the chart of delimitation of the zone solid mass of the Pyrenees) but not directly in connection with the mountainous area itself.

* African Reserve of Sigean (260 ha, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
* Sites of the Conservatory of Littoral Space and the Lake Shores (CELRL)
* Wetlands of international importance exits of the Convention of Ramsar.

Notes and references of the article

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