N at U R O P

N AT UROPA " BULLETIN OF THE EUROPEAN INFORMATION CENTRE FOR NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF EUROPE NATUROPA Number 22 eu ro p ean “Naturopa” is the new title of the bulletin formerly entitled "Naturope" (French version) and "Nature in Focus" (English version). information EDITORIAL G. G. Aym onin 1 cen tre THE MEDITERRANEAN FLORA for MUST BE SAVED J. M elato-Beliz 3 nature PLANT SPECIES CONSERVATION IN THE ALPS - conservation POSSIBILITIES AND PROBLEMS h . Riedl 6 THREATENED AND PROTECTED PLANTS IN THE NETHERLANDS J. Mennem a 10 G. G. AYMONIN THE HEILIGENHAFEN CONFERENCE ON THE Deputy Director of the Laboratory INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION of Phanerogamy National Museum of Natural History OF WETLANDS AND WILDFOWL G. V. T. M atthews 16 Paris ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PROBLEMS IN MALTA L. J. Saliba 20 An international meeting of experts attempting to penetrate by analysing Norway across Siberia. Still in its specialising in problems associated what they term the “ecosystems”. natural state, often very dense and ECOLOGY IN A NEW BRITISH CITY J. G. Kelcey 23 with the impoverishment in plant spe Europe’s natural environments are practically impenetrable in places, it 26 cies of numerous natural environments characterized by a great diversity in is a magnificent forest of immense News from Strasbourg in Europe took place at Arc-et-Senans, their biological and aesthetic features. biological and economic value. Notes 28 France, in November 1973, under the From one end of the continent to the To the west of Norway and south of patronage of the Secretary General other the contrasts are striking. Most Sweden begin the forests of Central of the Council of Europe. ly homes of ancient civilisations (the Europe : the Norway pine and spruce It was thanks to the Claude-Nichols countries of Europe) often display di are gradually replaced by deciduous Ledoux Foundation and its Centre for versity of another kind, superimposed trees : beeches and oaks which, in Reflection on the Future and to the on the multiplicity of natural land their strictly natural state, populate initiative of the French Ministry for scapes : that wrought by man on the the forests in equilibrium with their the Protection of Nature and the En environment as a result of his mani environment throughout the lowlands vironment, now the Ministry for the fold activities. Hence the origin of that of Western Europe. Quality of Life, that these biologists infinite variety of features, exemplified The mountain ranges bring an element from the different European coun by the so-called “terroirs” in France of contrast to these regions : species tries were able to meet. Why such which impart, or rather used to im peculiar to the mountains of Europe concern today ? Why should scientists part, a remarkable element of origina give a distinctive character to nume The symbol for the Council of Europe’s and managers alike now be giving lity. Human influence has varied con nature conservation activities. rous ranges : the firs in the colder priority to the study of this impove siderably from one region or environ Alpine regions and the northern Py rishment, to research into its past and ment to another, but can be consi renees, the larch in the drier regions present causes and, above all, to pro dered to have existed practically eve of the Alps and the silver pine at high viding remedies ? rywhere. “ N aturopa ” is published in English, in altitudes. Above the tree line are the French, in German and in Italian by the Without attempting to reply to all these Europe also presents an astonishing grasslands, infinitely rich in flora, or European Information Centre for Nature questions, we may at least offer seve mosaic of scenic vegetation — the moorlands, frequently covered with Conservation of the Council of Europe, ral explanations. This is one of the plant world’s response to the influen rhododendrons. The vegetation at the 67006 Strasbourg Cedex, France. functions of “Naturopa”. ce of ecological conditions. The “far summits consists of low-growing spe The disappearance of a flower or an north”, Lapland for example, is cha cies with large, very colourful flowers Editor responsible : Jean-Pierre Ribaut animal from some small area in Ice racterized by a tundra landscape : a — the alpine plants with which we are Editor : Gillian Holdup land, France or Greece is not merely frequently frozen soil produces stun all familiar : the gentian, campion, cro as is often thought, a trivial event of in ted birches and willows; vast stretches cus, snowbell, edelweiss and ane Printed by : Pillet SA, Martigny, Switzerland terest only to a few, sometimes too remain permanently frozen ; the plains mone. Each mountain range in Europe Articles may be reprinted providing a refe few, specialists aware of the existence consist of expanses of peatland and has its own characteristic species rence is made to the source and a copy of such species in these areas ; it is screes, both bedecked in summer which are found nowhere else. Hence sent to the Centre. The copyright of all the sign of more radical changes and with colourful carpets of flowers found the splendid multiplicity of colours photographs is reserved. — as demonstrated for the whole of further south only on the highest and shapes which reflects the genetic Europe by the Arc-et-Senans Sympo mountains : saxifrage, dryas, creeping originality of endemic mountain flora. Information concerning “ Naturopa ” or the PHOTOGRAPHS European Information Centre for Nature sium — of the start of a general pro azalia and different varieties of cotton- The great mountain barrier formed Conservation may be obtained on appli Cover : J. G. W almsley ; A. R. Johnson cess of deterioration indicating that grass. Further south, approximately by the Pyrenees, the French Massif cation to the appropriate National Agency serious upheavals are taking place in on the same latitude as the Arctic Cir Central, the Alps and the Carpathians, (see addresses inside back cover) or to Pages 2, 4 and 5 : M. Keraudren-Aymonin ; Pages 3 and 4 : J. Melato-Beliz ; man’s physical environment, or to be cle in Scandinavia, is the timber line which separates Northern from South the Centre itself. Page 7 : B inois/P ITC H ; Pages 8 and 9 : F. G ohier/PITCH ; Page 9 : J. F. G önnet/ more precise, environments, for they with forests composed mainly of birch ern Europe more or less isolates the PITCH ; Page 10 : J. Mennema ; Pages 11 and 12 : Ruth van Crevel ; Pages 14 The opinions expressed in this publica are essentially varied. These natural trees and conifers, quite small at first. Mediterranean world. It is a totally tion are those of the authors and do not and 15 : Nationaal Bureau voor Toerisme (Netherlands), A. R. Johnson, J. G. environments represent the balance The ground is carpeted with bilberries, different kind of world : the dry sum necessarily reflect the views of the Coun W almsley ; Pages 17 and 19 : Jean-Paul EXPLORER ; Page 18 : J. P. C oureau/ achieved over thousands of years bet club-moss, ordinary mosses and li mers and mild climate create very spe cil of Europe. EXPLORER ; Pages 20, 21 and 22 : J. L. Saliba ; Page 27 : Flugbild GMBH ; ween the physical and the living world, chens. The great boreal forest, or tai cial ecological conditions ; the natural Page 28 : P. A. Interpress Photos ; Page 29 : Fabius Henrion/JACANA. a balance which specialists are today ga, forms a wide belt extending from Mediterranean forest consists mainly of evergreens, such as the holm oak plan of action to secure for the in and cork oak, and the dozens of small habitants of Europe the perpetuation trees associated with them. This natu of the manifold biological and natural ral Mediterranean forest has been se environments around them which re THE MEDITERRANEAN FLORA riously degraded : many forests of present a unique feature of their irre pines, a poorer species, have been placeable heritage and the heritage planted, often after fires ; numerous of the civilised world. garigues with thyme and rock roses MUST BE SAVED mark stages of impoverishment culmi nating in the rocky wastelands which J. MALATO-BELIZ abound all round the Mediterranean. Director of the Laboratory All vegetation in Europe is at present for Phytosystematic Research and under intense pressure from the ex Plant Ecology Centre for Plant Improvement pansion of what is often termed the R esearch “technosphere”, that artificial world Elvas, Portugal of concrete and metal which is a cha Cistus albidus (Cystaceae), one of the racteristic feature of our modern civi prettiest of the genus found in the lisation. But in a number of regions Mediterranean maquis and matorral certain influences are undoubtedly shrub communities. more serious than others, and the simultaneous disappearance of nu merous plants provides us with proof of the magnitude and seriousness of stand pressure from the artificially such phenomena. Thus throughout the planted conifers. whole of Central Europe the flora The disappearance from a number of found in the wetlands (lakes, ponds, regions of epiphytic lichens and prob streams, bogs) is in decline : certain ably mosses as well, is evidence of species have disappeared from entire the increase in air pollution. The Coun regions or else their geographical cil of Europe, like more specialised boundaries have receded, in some bodies such as national departments cases by several hundred kilometres. for environment protection and the An urgent rescue operation must be International Union for the Conserva mounted to safeguard the remaining tion of Nature and Natural Resources, marshes and peat bogs, for the disap has encouraged joint action on urgent pearance of wild water-plants is also problems affecting European flora and As Man has grown out of his primitive natural forests and other types of for which the perturbation of the na the sign of a change in the composi vegetation ; it did so in the case of the state of being a constituent element vegetation leave the way open to soil tural environment means the risk of tion of the water, and, in many cases, “bocages”, man-made hedgerow of nature’s ecosystems in order to erosion, which, with the help of irre extinction.

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