Zona Speciale di Conservazione Paluda la Lot

Site's importance

The protected area represents a sort of "territorial island" hosting very rare animal and plant species: they are the so-called alpine "relicts" of nordic and arctic species, which have remained isolated here since the last ice age, when the vegetational association Caricetum lasiocarpae was very common. This area is inhabited by many specimens of wood grouse.

The represented habitats are:

• Species-rich Nardus grassland, on siliceous substrates. Priority habitat, Active raised bogs (see Biotobe Vedes Small Lake),
• Bog woodlands (see Biotobe Vedes Small Lake)
• Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Eu-Molinion) (see Biotobe Vedes Small Lake)
• Acidophilous forests (Vaccinio-Picetea) (see Biotobe Vedes Small Lake).