The Rache and Vau ZNIEFF covers the valley and slopes of Parfonde Vau and the Butte de la Rache to the north. The slopes are wooded with various types of forest typical of the Auberive area, including xerophilous dry beech on well-exposed slopes, dental beech on cooler slopes and calcicolous oak-charm-beech on the plateau.
For nature lovers :
The summit of the Rache is occupied by a vast grassland (Festuco lemanii-Brometum) that was once grazed and is now locally overgrown with scrub (juniper, barberry and Saint Lucia cherry) and surrounded by pinewood (black pine and Scots pine).
A beautiful tufa marsh can be found on the northern slopes of Parfonde Vau, the Mararts marsh: it is a slope and lower slope marsh, tufa but without any real tufa, clearly peaty in places, entirely north-facing and always well supplied with water. It is open to the meadows at the bottom of the valley and is bordered upstream by the road. This marsh has a rich and characteristic flora, with all forms of shadbush dominating: classic black cottongrass schoenaie, locally dried out and invaded by mullein (edge) or phragmites (centre), short cottongrass schoenaie with ferruginous cottongrass, a species protected in France and included on the red list of plants in Champagne-Ardenne, jonçaie-schoenaie with obtusiflorous rush and swertie perenne, protected at regional level and included on the red list, Carex rostrata channels and Chara puddles. The marsh is extended to the east by a small molinia with diverse vegetation, with a border of aconite napel (protected) and typical eagle fern, and elements of low willow with purple and ashy willows.
Vegetation:
The vegetation throughout the ZNIEFF is very characteristic of the Langres plateau and is rich in rare or protected species (16 species): the doradille verte, found on the rocks of the road embankment and therefore very exposed, is a small fern of North Pre-Alpine origin (its localities in Haute-Marne are the only ones on the French plain), protected in Champagne-Ardenne and included on the regional red list, in the tufa marshes, three rare orchids, the neglected orchid, a sub-Atlantic species found in France mainly in the west and centre and rapidly declining in the region, Traunsteiner's orchid, of north-pre-Alpine origin, and the incarnate orchid, broad-leaved cottongrass, which is declining rapidly and has almost disappeared from the French plains, and marsh parnassia, all of which are on the red list, in the molinia, narrow-segmented buttercup, rare throughout France and ophioglossa vulgaris, in the lawn, rock violet, of North-Eurasian origin, vanilla-scented gymnadenia, bird's-foot sedge, species of pre-alpine origin, rare in France and protected in Champagne-Ardenne, etc.
Fauna:
The entomofauna is well represented in the marsh and grassland, notably by dragonflies including the rare agrion de Mercure, protected in France since 1993, listed under the Bern Convention (European protection) and the Habitats Directive and on the red lists of insects in France and Champagne-Ardenne (as an endangered species in north-eastern France), the ringed and bidentate cordulégastres, rare mountain species in the plains, the bluish orthetrum, the dwarf agrion, two song crickets (small-winged cricket and mountain cricket), a coloured cricket (blue oedipod) and a butterfly (sanguisorbe peacock) on the regional red list.
The site is frequented by large and small game and numerous birds (including Bonelli's Warbler, a very rare and endangered breeder, on the regional red list), which find refuge and food here. The communal marsh is quite large, around 6 hectares, protected by an arrêté préfectoral de protection de biotope, in very good condition overall apart from the fact that the north-western part has been filled in by a rubbish dump (currently being rehabilitated). The grassland (one of the largest remaining flat grasslands in Haute-Marne), owned by the commune, is also in good condition and is monitored. The rest of the ZNIEFF is in good condition.
Undeveloped site (enjoy the view from the D6)
Access reserved for an informed and respectful public
Marais et pelouses de la Rache et du Vau
