| Country |
France |
| Natura
2000 site location |
Limousin |
| Nearest
urban settlement |
Brive-la-Gaillarde |
| Official
site name/s |
Abîmes
de La Fage |
| Unofficial
but locally accepted name/s for the site |
Gouffre
de La Fage |
| Natura
2000 site number |
FR
7401120 |
| Site
description / classification |
Cave
/ grotto
|
| Size
of site (hectares) |
1
ha |
| Key
Species types |
Minioptère
de Schreibers (Miniopterus schreibersi) (10 000 hivernants) |
| Grand
Murin (Myotis myotis) (200 hivernants) |
| Petit
Rhinolophe (Rhinolophus hipposideros) |
| Grand
rhinolophe (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) |
| Petit
Murin (Myotis blythii) |
| Rhinolophe
Euryale (Rhinolophus euryale) |
| Vespertilion
à oreilles échancrées (Myotis emarginatus) |
| Key
Habitat types |
Caves
and underground galleries located in the sedimentary basin of Brive-La-Gaillarde |
| Key
management issues |
This
lot of caves is one of the rares ones of the Limousin region, and the only
one to total such a high bats species number. Within 1 ha, 20 bat's species
were contacted. It is one of the most important french sites for Rhinolophus
euryale reproduction. Bats conservation issues, both hivernating and reproducing,
are therefore very important. Human issues to conciliate are : visits for
the discovery of the extraordinary geological concretions and of the traces
of archeological collecting (mammoth site). Scientific archeological surveys
ans collectings were arried out in the 70 ties; this activity is not to
be considered nowadays. Nowadays objectives are:
- Put an end to winter
public visits of this highly touristic site during the bats hibernating
period
- Create in compensation
a pedagogical path centred on bats so as to increase summer visits
- Reinforce the access
doors to the site
- Replace the existing
lights by "cold lamps" to limit development of algae and mosses
|
| Organising
at least one Green Days event per year |
Animation
of naturalists visits. Organisation of 5 Bats'nights and 1/year meeting
of the Steering comittee + regular meetings between the diverse actors and
partners (owner, manager, financers, State authorities...) |
| Involving
local stakeholders in the management planning process - creating a local
area partnership
|
Gouffre
de La Fage (EN) (PDF, 53.7 kb)
Gouffre
de La Fage (FR) (PDF, 54.2 kb) |
| Promoting
Natura 2000 at the local level |
"Actions
carried out by the Natura 2000 pilot : Creation of a presentation Leaflet
: bats (hibernation + reproduction), and Natura 2000 process Creation of
a specific Natura 2000 leaflet by DIREN Limousin (local representant of
Ministry of Environment) Natura 2000 signposting Elaboration of the Document
d'Objectifs Natura 2000 (Habitas directive management plan) for the site
Actions carried out by the Cave site managers : Présentation of the Natura
2000 process on the Internet site of Gouffre de la fage (2 pages specificcaly
added) Visits (general public et schools" |
| Involved
in European networking / Twinned with other site for knowledge exchange |
Information
was requested from a Bats Natura 2000 site in the Poitou-Charentes region
Simultaneous surveys of hibernating colonies between La Fage and grotte
de Rancogne (department 16). Simultaneous surveys of reproduction colonies
between La Fage and Viaducs de Vignol (19). |
| Branding
Natura 2000 |
"The
G.M.H.L. was nominated ""Coordinator"" of 3 Natura 2000 sites. Therefore,
it realised:
- Natura 2000 leaflets
- uses the Natura
2000 logo on all mails
- spends great amount
of time to present Natura 2000 to all encountered persons
At La Fage, the Cave
managers chose to install, spontaneously, a signpost signalling the site
is part of the Natura 2000 Network."
|
| Agreeing
to become an NNi ambassador |
Yvan
Grugier (GROUPE MAMMALOGIQUE ET HERPETOLOGIQUE DU LIMOUSIN) gmhl(a)wanadoo.fr
is an NNi Ambassador. |