Site naturel des Landes de Bilais
A brief history
In 1994, the commune of Drefféac acquired a 43-hectare estate. The Office Nationale des Forêts planted 25ha of regular high forest of various species (oak, pine, wild cherry, etc.). This reforestation and the more general enhancement of the site are intended to offer the public a unique place, rich in biodiversity, which it will be important to preserve.
The entire Landes de Bilais area is subject to the forestry regime. An interpretation trail has criss-crossed it since 2004. Under the aegis of the municipality, the policy of developing this Area of Sensitive Natural Spaces (classified by the Loire Atlantique County Council in 2006) is being pursued with the site's coordinators, who include hunters, anglers, walkers and the Bretagne Vivante association.
A contractual agreement between the municipality and the Bretagne Vivante association defines a management plan to conserve and optimise the site's resources and develop environmental education.
Specialists now describe this area as a "rich mosaic", with each environment revealing uncommon species. The wet meadows, moorland and quarry ponds are organised around :
- 4 ha of moorland
- 3 ha of grassland
- 25 ha of ONF plantations
- 10 ha of woodland
- 1.5 ha of ponds
As you explore these areas, alone, with your family or friends, you will come into contact with a complex and fragile ecosystem:
- 25 sensitive plant species, 6 of which are protected (e.g. gentian pneumonanthe and exaculum pusillum)
- around thirty sensitive animal species, including 1 listed in Annex 1 of the European Union Birds Directive (the pitchou warbler or sylvia undata).
It is therefore up to us, as part of our exploration, to ensure the preservation of this site.
The moor
Long before the moor was the forest. Then, one day, man cut down the trees to take over the land. At Bilais, the heathland is essentially mesophilic, in other words an intermediary environment between wet and dry heathland. This is where the vagrant heather grows, which can reach a metre in height. Rare in the département, this is one of the five species of heather found on the Bilais moors, making it the most beautiful site in Loire-Atlantique for this endangered species. Dwarf gorse also characterises this ecosystem, which is typical of the Armorican Massif and contains around twenty rare plants in need of protection, including several remarkable species of orchid. The fauna, with its multitude of butterflies, dragonflies and birds, also contributes to making the moor an environment rich in biodiversity that should be preserved.
Stone and water
The Landes de Bilais is like an enormous stone table, covered in places by a more or less thick layer of earth, dug out here and there. To remove the stone, man has opened gaping wounds that the vegetation has covered over, gradually healing the wounds in the soil. On the site of the pond, there used to be one of the holes of the quarry that was mined in the early 1970s. Other, much smaller holes can be found in the moorland, testifying to the use of the stones by local people long before the quarry was opened. In addition to the natural depressions, all these cavities left after quarrying have filled with water. These artificial pools are a godsend for a large number of insects which, before living in the open air, spend most of their lives in the water, in the form of larvae.
In 1994, the commune of Drefféac acquired a 43-hectare estate. The Office Nationale des Forêts planted 25ha of regular high forest of various species (oak, pine, wild cherry, etc.). This reforestation and the more general enhancement of the site are intended to offer the public a unique place, rich in biodiversity, which it will be important to preserve.
The entire Landes de Bilais area is subject to the forestry regime. An interpretation trail has criss-crossed it since 2004. Under the aegis of the municipality, the policy of developing this Area of Sensitive Natural Spaces (classified by the Loire Atlantique County Council in 2006) is being pursued with the site's coordinators, who include hunters, anglers, walkers and the Bretagne Vivante association.
A contractual agreement between the municipality and the Bretagne Vivante association defines a management plan to conserve and optimise the site's resources and develop environmental education.
Specialists now describe this area as a "rich mosaic", with each environment revealing uncommon species. The wet meadows, moorland and quarry ponds are organised around :
- 4 ha of moorland
- 3 ha of grassland
- 25 ha of ONF plantations
- 10 ha of woodland
- 1.5 ha of ponds
As you explore these areas, alone, with your family or friends, you will come into contact with a complex and fragile ecosystem:
- 25 sensitive plant species, 6 of which are protected (e.g. gentian pneumonanthe and exaculum pusillum)
- around thirty sensitive animal species, including 1 listed in Annex 1 of the European Union Birds Directive (the pitchou warbler or sylvia undata).
It is therefore up to us, as part of our exploration, to ensure the preservation of this site.
The moor
Long before the moor was the forest. Then, one day, man cut down the trees to take over the land. At Bilais, the heathland is essentially mesophilic, in other words an intermediary environment between wet and dry heathland. This is where the vagrant heather grows, which can reach a metre in height. Rare in the département, this is one of the five species of heather found on the Bilais moors, making it the most beautiful site in Loire-Atlantique for this endangered species. Dwarf gorse also characterises this ecosystem, which is typical of the Armorican Massif and contains around twenty rare plants in need of protection, including several remarkable species of orchid. The fauna, with its multitude of butterflies, dragonflies and birds, also contributes to making the moor an environment rich in biodiversity that should be preserved.
Stone and water
The Landes de Bilais is like an enormous stone table, covered in places by a more or less thick layer of earth, dug out here and there. To remove the stone, man has opened gaping wounds that the vegetation has covered over, gradually healing the wounds in the soil. On the site of the pond, there used to be one of the holes of the quarry that was mined in the early 1970s. Other, much smaller holes can be found in the moorland, testifying to the use of the stones by local people long before the quarry was opened. In addition to the natural depressions, all these cavities left after quarrying have filled with water. These artificial pools are a godsend for a large number of insects which, before living in the open air, spend most of their lives in the water, in the form of larvae.
Contact
Bilais
44530 DREFFEAC
FRANCE
44530 DREFFEAC
FRANCE
Practical information
Category
Remarkable viewpoint / panorama / peak
