An exceptional biodiversity, a threatened region
Despite the heavy pressure exerted by man on nature, particularly in the valleys and on the peaks that are sometimes transformed into ski slopes, the Alps still offer immense areas of unspoilt nature. Here, at every level, biodiversity is absolutely remarkable. The Alps as a whole are home to some 30,000 animal species (and 13,000 plant species), not just the large and small mammals we immediately think of - chamois, ibex, mouflon, wolf or marmot - but also large birds of prey - including the emblematic golden eagles, griffon vultures and bearded vultures - fifteen species of reptiles and around twenty amphibians, not to mention the bats that are severely threatened in the Alpine valleys.
National parks, maximum protection
Of France's 11 national parks, areas totally untouched by human activity in the central zone, the Alps are home to 3. Other areas are protected from excessive human activity, such as regional parks (5 in total), Znieff (Zones Naturelles d'Intérêt Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique) and Natura 2000 zones. All in all, these zones cover around 30% of our territory! That's how much ecological interest there is in this massif, but above all, how many dangers - not least mass tourism - the mountains have had to be protected from.
The Vanoise National Park was the first park created in France in 1963 to protect the Alpine ibex. In this wild territory, where winter living conditions are extremely harsh, it's not just the ibex that needs protecting. There's also a highly diversified flora and fauna, with over 2,000 varieties of flowers, some of which are found only in this area. There are also over a hundred species of birds, including the golden eagle and the bartavelle, as well as all the large mammals that inhabit the Alps. From glaciers to alpine meadows, it's a universe in its purest form.
The Ecrins National Park, created in 1973, has taken advantage of the strong ecological activity in the Hautes-Alpes to cover one of the richest and most beautiful areas, with many peaks reaching - or almost reaching - 4,000 m. With a surface area of 270,000 ha, it is the largest park in France. Located between Isère and Hautes-Alpes, its central position in the Alps - benefiting from continental, oceanic and Mediterranean influences - explains its exceptional richness and beauty: almost 2,000 plant species, including 40 rare or endangered species, some 60 rare or endangered animal species including the ibex, which was reintroduced some fifteen years ago, and the emblematic golden eagle. It's a wild and rugged park that few hikers ever really get to the heart of.
The Mercantour National Park was created in 1979 between Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes. It is the southernmost Alpine park in the chain. Its origins lie in a hunting reserve set aside for the Italian king Victor-Emmanuel II, which was then doubled in size to create a core zone of total protection covering some 70,000 hectares. A strangely shaped park that stretches from east to west and is home to some real wonders, including the Valley of... Wonders. The park is home to half the plant species found in France - 2,000 out of 4,000 - as well as chamois, Corsican mouflons, ibex and wolves from Italy. It's also home to birds such as the mythical bearded vulture.
Alpine Reserves - another way to protect nature
The Alps are still a wilderness protected by a ring of man-made reserves.
In Isère, the Réserve naturelle des hauts plateaux du Vercors (Vercors High Plateaux Nature Reserve) dominates a mountain range that has managed to preserve its wild aspect. The majestic nature, impenetrable forests and grandiose meadows of France's largest nature reserve (17,000 hectares). In this vast territory, there are no permanent settlements, no roads other than forestry roads, for the total protection of unspoilt nature. Chamois, roe deer, ibex, red foxes, vultures, golden eagles and two symbols of the wild world - the lynx and the wolf - roam freely here. Man can only imagine the footsteps of these great predators in the snow, their nocturnal cries, their hunts, their loves, their lives. The reserve preserves a precious flora with almost 600 species, 19 of which are protected.
The Bauges National Hunting and Wildlife Reserve, which contains the highest peaks in the massif at the heart of the Park, is home to numerous breeding birds and mountain mammals, particularly the chamois. The Bauges form a remarkable Alpine massif, a citadel bounded by the triangle of Alpine highways linking Chambéry, Annecy and Albertville. This perched haven of wilderness has been gradually abandoned by man in favor of preserving an exceptional natural heritage. A veritable mosaic of ecological environments, the Bauges massif is home to a remarkable array of flora and fauna. Among the 1,600 plant species represented, representing around a third of the French flora, are the European cyclamen, and very rare specimens such as Perier's iris, lady's slipper, blue thistle and gentian pneumonanthe.
The gorges de Daluis nature reserve in the Alpes-Maritimes is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. At the crossroads of the Alps and the Mediterranean, the reserve known as the Colorado of Nice is home to rare, even endemic species, such as the tongue-leaved saxifrage, which adorns the red cliffs with its white flowers in spring. The cliffs are also ideal nesting places for bats and birds of prey such as the golden eagle and the peregrine falcon.
The Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve, in the Mont-Blanc massif, covers an exceptional altitude range from 1,100 to 3,000 metres, epitomizing wildlife at the very limits of what is possible for the animal and plant world. In this extreme territory, between glaciers and scree, ibex, chamois, rock ptarmigan, golden eagle and rhododendron have adapted to their environment. The wild world cannot be content with these frontier areas, where its survival is constantly threatened, and man must share the territory to preserve biodiversity and a grandiose natural environment.
Fauna and flora, a layered nature
With the exception of fish - and trout still swim up the rivers of the Alps to impressive altitudes (around 1,000 m from the Alpine lakes) - the animals of the Alps move up and down the mountains, varying the floors according to the seasons and the pastures available. However, each animal has its own preferred floor, where it feels at home in its natural habitat. In the Alps, large carnivores such as the wolf and the lynx (the bear is no longer found in the French Alps) roam over a vast territory, at varying altitudes.
At altitudes below 800 m, deer, roe deer and weasels can be found in the hills. Birds like the kingfisher follow the major rivers in the valleys. In the montane zone, at around 1,500 m, the large mixed deciduous and coniferous forests are still home to deer, roe deer, wild boar, foxes and the capercaillie. It's in the sub-alpine zone, at altitudes of over 2,000 m, that the flora and fauna become more specific. Deciduous trees gradually disappear, to be replaced by conifers, which hide the splendid sabots de Vénus, magnificent Alpine orchids. The Alpine columbine is another symbolic flower of this mid-altitude region. This blue buttercup grows only in the Alps, on the slopes of alpine meadows. If its large flowers appear in midsummer, don't touch them - they're poisonous! Marmots appear slowly, and chamois and mouflons can be seen. Between 2,500 and 3,000 m, the alpine stage marks the limit of trees, but offers great biodiversity. Alpine meadows are covered with an incredible variety of flowers. It's at this level that gourmets seek out the Alpine currant and blueberry, as well as many flowers that should be observed (not picked...): Alpine soldanelle, rhododendron, bellflower... and the famous edelweiss. This flower, synonymous with romance and high summits, has covered itself in white down to protect itself from the cold winds that blow across the limestone slopes between 2,000 and 3,000 m. But many species of gentian can still be found, including the acaule gentian, often painted on souvenirs with its beautiful blue color. Marmots stock up on flowers. Mountain hares, chamois and ibex are in their element. Finally, at the nival level, above 3,000 m where the so-called eternal snows begin (in fact, where the period of snow cover is longer than the snow-clearing period...), the flora is essentially made up of mosses and lichens, although the opposite-leaved saxifrage has adapted to these extreme conditions. The last of the endangered rock ptarmigan can be seen on the short grasslands. It's on this level, between flights of yellow-billed ducks, that two great birds of prey, also threatened, can be seen: the golden eagle and the bearded vulture.
Beware, the flora of the Alps is beautiful and varied, but it remains protected and many plants must not be collected - they perish very quickly if they are uprooted anyway. Signs indicating protected species can be found at the entrances to nature parks. To better appreciate the full extent of this flora, we recommend a visit to one of the alpine gardens that flourish along the chain.
