Wild boar: Stag: Roe deer: size: 10 cm size: 8 cm size 4 to 5 cm FOREST SITE FOREST NATURA 2000 2000 NATURA NORTHERN VOSGES NORTHERN THE LOOSTHAL TRAIL TRAIL LOOSTHAL THE GUIDEBOOK SPECIES DISCOVER THE NATURAL TREASURES OF THE PAYS DE LA PETITE PIERRE IDENTIFICATION THANKS TO OUR INTERPRETATION TRAIL Loosthal Identification d'espèces : 358m Distance : 4 km Elevation difference: 50 m Chestnut Time: 2 hrs Difficulty: easy DépartStart A Maison forestière Waymarked Groupement Ornithologique B Wild cherry A du Refuge Nord Alsace # # # # 1 # # # # Hornbeam # B # C # # # GORNA # # # 2 # discovery trail # 3 # # # Sessile oak # D # # R # # # E Common ash # # # 381m # # F Norway spruce # # # 340m # # . G Pussy willow # # # # # # H Aspen # # Q # # C # 4# I Common alder ### # D 26 # # Rocher du Loosthal J Beech # P # # # # # 5 # K European larch # # # # 6 Loosthal trail # Sentier du Loosthal # L Douglas pine # # 7 # Points ofd'intérêt interest : # # # M Scots pine # # SpeciesIdentification identification d'espèces # # 300m # E Large-leaved lime # # N # # F PanneauInformation explicatif board # i s # # c # h # # O Sycamore maple # b # # a # Viewpoint # 8 e # c # he P Common whitebeam # d # l f ad a or ro # o est t r # # F es or # Q Warty birch # f s ## # s ## lo 25 # # # # # # h # c # # s # # # R Silver fir # it # e O # # # 9 r # # # # B # #### # # # ## # # 23 M # # 24 # # N # # # # # # # 391m # # # # # # # # 10 # # G # # # 388m 16 22# H 15 # ## # J # # 14 # # # # 17 ## # # 13 # 21 ### # # K I # # 11 # 12 L 0 50 100 Mètres # # Lach # # 370m # # # 290m # # # # To # # Pottaschplatz # # # # 18 # # 19 20# # Hirschfels To Le 374m saut du chien Panneaux explicatifs : INFORMATION BOARDS 1 Preamble: A fragile beauty 10 The Hazel Grouse 19 There's nothing more alive than a dead tree! 2 Did you say pteridophyte? 11 Ponds 20 Natura 2000: management methods more conducive to biodiversity* 3 Once upon a time there was... sandstone 12 Alder marsh forest 21 Oh deer! Don't eat the trees .... 4 A natural forest? 13 Maturity stage 22 Friendly rivals 5 The red beret 14 Forests progressively fashioned by Man 23 Life in the trees 6 There is nothing permanent… 15 Multifunctionality and developments 24 Neutrophilous beech forests with woodruff 7 Acidophilous beech forest with wood-rush in silvicultural practice 25 The case for ivy 8 Springs 16 The Black Prince 26 The lord of the cliffs: the European Eagle Owl 9 Amazing ants! 17 Forest management methods and the Peregrine Falcon 18 Senescence* SPECIES DISCOVER THE NATURAL TREASURES OF THE PAYS DE LA PETITE PIERRE IDENTIFICATION THANKS TO OUR INTERPRETATION TRAIL Loosthal Identification d'espèces : 358m Distance : 4 km Elevation difference: 50 m Chestnut Time: 2 hrs Difficulty: easy DépartStart A Maison forestière Waymarked Groupement Ornithologique B Wild cherry A du Refuge Nord Alsace # # # # 1 # # # # Hornbeam # B # C # # # GORNA # # # 2 # discovery trail # 3 # # # Sessile oak # D # # R # # # E Common ash # # # 381m # # F Norway spruce # # # 340m # # . G Pussy willow # # # # # # H Aspen # # Q # # C # 4# I Common alder ### # D 26 # # Rocher du Loosthal J Beech # P # # # # # 5 # K European larch # # # # 6 Loosthal trail # Sentier du Loosthal # L Douglas pine # # 7 # Points ofd'intérêt interest : # # # M Scots pine # # IdentificationSpecies identification d'espèces # # 300m # E Large-leaved lime # # N # # F PanneauInformation explicatif board # i s # # c # h # # O Sycamore maple # b # # a # Viewpoint # 8 e # c # he P Common whitebeam # d # l f ad a or ro # o est t r # # F es or # Q Warty birch # f s ## # s ## lo 25 # # # # # # h # c # # s # # # R Silver fir # it # e O # # # 9 r # # # # B # #### # # # ## # # 23 M # # 24 # # N # # # # # # # 391m # # # # # # # # 10 # # G # # # 388m 16 22# H 15 # ## # J # # 14 # # # # 17 ## # # 13 # 21 ### # # K I # # 11 # 12 L 0 50 100 Mètres # # Lach # # 370m # # # 290m # # # # To # # Pottaschplatz # # # # 18 # # 19 20# # Hirschfels To Le 374m saut du chien Panneaux explicatifs : INFORMATION BOARDS 1 Preamble: A fragile beauty 10 The Hazel Grouse 19 There's nothing more alive than a dead tree! 2 Did you say pteridophyte? 11 Ponds 20 Natura 2000: management methods more conducive to biodiversity* 3 Once upon a time there was... sandstone 12 Alder marsh forest 21 Oh deer! Don't eat the trees .... 4 A natural forest? 13 Maturity stage 22 Friendly rivals 5 The red beret 14 Forests progressively fashioned by Man 23 Life in the trees 6 There is nothing permanent… 15 Multifunctionality and developments 24 Neutrophilous beech forests with woodruff 7 Acidophilous beech forest with wood-rush in silvicultural practice 25 The case for ivy 8 Springs 16 The Black Prince 26 The lord of the cliffs: the European Eagle Owl 9 Amazing ants! 17 Forest management methods and the Peregrine Falcon 18 Senescence* CONTENTS 1 Preamble: A fragile beauty p p.4 12 Alder marsh forests p p.30 22 Friendly rivals p p.18 2 Did you say pteridophyte? p p.28 13 Maturity stage p p.9 23 Life in the trees p p.10 3 Once upon a time there was... 14 Forests progressively fashioned 24 Neutrophilous beech forests with sandstone p p.6 by Man p p.14 woodruff p p.29 4 A natural forest? p p.7 25 The case for ivy p p.34 15 Multifunctionality and developments in silvicultural practice p.16 5 The red beret: the sentry p 26 The lord of the cliffs: the European of the tree crowns* p p.23 Eagle Owl and the Peregrine Falcon 16 The Black Prince p.20 p.26 p p 6 There is nothing permanent except change… pioneer stage p p.8 17 Forest management methods p p.16 Glossary p p.35 7 Acidophilous beech forest 18 Senescence* p p.9 Games p p.36 with wood-rush p p.29 8 Springs p p.32 19 There’s nothing more alive than a dead tree! p.11 p 20 9 Amazing ants! p p.24 Natura 2000: management methods more conducive to biodiversity* p.17 p 10 The Hazel Grouse p p.25 21 Oh deer! Don’t eat the trees .... p.13 p Western 11 Ponds p p.33 Barbastelle 3 THE SITE 1 Preamble: A fragile beauty Here you are at the entrance to the Northern Vosges Natura 2000 site and the La Petite-Pierre National Game and Wildlife Reserve. This is a rare and protected natural environment. Please respect it. To get the most out of your visit, try to soak up the forest atmosphere... What is a Natura 2000 site and what is it for? TO PRESERVE THE DIVERSITY These include: It is the Parc Naturel Regional des Vosges OF NATURE • spaces essential to the reproduction, feeding, du Nord that coordinates all these different The Earth is populated by millions of living wintering or migration of rare or threatened measures and projects. beings, but over the last two centuries the birds in Europe. These are named Special extinction of the species has accelerated. It no Protection Areas (SPA*) in application KEY FIGURES ON THE NATURA PROGRAMME of the European Birds Directive of 1979 longer concerns only rare species of animals In Europe and plants, but also the most common. This (79/409/EEC); Natura 2000 sites is due to human activities, which modify and • spaces dedicated to the conservation of 27,000 destroy natural environments. natural habitats, plants or animal species 96 million hectares of Community interest (other than birds). 18% of the European Union’s territory A EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL These are known as Special Areas of Conser- covered by Natura 2000 sites* NETWORK... vation (SAC*) in application of the European The flight of migratory birds reminds us that Habitats Directive (wild fauna and flora) of In France nature and its preservation know no borders. 1992 (92/43/EEC). 1,753 Natura 2000 sites This is why Europe made a strong commitment 12.55% of French territory, namely to protect biological diversity by founding the CONCRETE ACTION 6.9 million hectares Natura 2000 network. Each Member State is On the site you are about to discover, particular required to designate in its territory natural sites measures are in place to manage the forest, the 4,500 indigenous species identified where preservation measures will be taken. watercourses and the grasslands, and numerous 9,000 communes concerned, with scientific studies (studies of deadwood, insects, a population of 15 million birds …) are conducted here. Source: French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, December 2004 4 The Northern Vosges Natura 2000 site IDENTITY CARD Name: Vosges du Nord (Northern Vosges) Surface area: 4,996 ha Type: Special Protection Area (SPA*) / Birds Directive and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC*) / Habitats Directive Geology: “Grès à Voltzia“ sandstone (West) and “Grès Vosgien” sandstone (East) Altitude: 185 m (Zinsel du sud) à 417 m (Hunebourg) Description: This Natura 2000 site mainly consists of forest (95% of its surface area); The National Game the open spaces are concentrated in the southern Zinsel valley, which runs and Wildlife Reserve from east to west across the site. The general relief is that of a plateau dissected by steep-sided valleys. The streams, most of them transformed Created in 1952, the La Petite Pierre Natio- to some extent by human intervention (ponds, tracks…) are characterised nal Game and Wildlife Reserve (RNCFS) by their oligotrophic nature*. The Northern Vosges Natura 2000 site does is situated in the heart of the Northern not contain any villages, just a few scattered homes. Vosges Natura 2000 site. Land / forests: State-owned forest: 66.8% Initially intended to develop the deer popu- Communal forest: 28.8% lation for restocking purposes, this site has Private forest: 4.4% become an international reference territory for the study of wild plain ungulates: red deer, roe deer and wild boar. D7 La Petite Pierre Weiterswiller Lohr Ongoing research programmes concern the echel ecology of these species, and in particular Niederba SENTIER DU their interactions with the vegetation.