|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
|
IROISE |
 © Photo: F. Bioret |
|||
|
||||
| General Description |
Iroise Biosphere Reserve, located on the coast of Brittany, comprises small rocky marine islands and islets and open marine areas to a depth of -20 meters with strong currents and a high tidal range. It is of significance from a biodiversity point of view since it encompasses a variety of habitats e.g. for more than 300 species of seaweed, large sea bird colonies and populations of basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). The Isle of Ouessant reaches no higher than 60 meters in altitude and its landscape is one of meadows grazed by sheep and crisscrossed with stone walls and numerous hamlets. The transition area of the biosphere reserve includes the islands of Ouessant and Molène with their 1,200 inhabitants (2001). With about 300,000 passengers on marine and air transports annually (2001), daily tourism is a significant element of the local economy, providing the basis for commercial activities on the islands. However, also fishing activities remain important. Numerous educational and training activities are carried out in the biosphere reserve, such as guided visits for school classes, exhibits, public information meetings and internships. |
|||
| Major ecosystem type | Temperate broadleaf forests or woodlands (including coastal/marine component) | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Islands; marine waters and sandy bottoms; marine algae communities dominated by Fucus spiralis, F. vesiculosus and Laminaria digitata; gravel, rocks and rocky bottoms (Zostera seagrass beds, Laminaria and kelp seaweed communities); sandy beaches; pebble beach communities with Beta maritima and Crambe maritima; rocky coasts and islets; coastal marshlands; coastal grasslands; dry moorlands; enriched pasturelands; scrublands (ferns, willows); mesotrophic backwaters | |||
| Location | 48°24'N; 4°58'W | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 20,613 | |||
| Core area(s) | 48 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 845 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 19,720 (of which marine: 18,820) | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | -20 to +60 | |||
| Year designated | 1988 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Syndicat mixte du Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique (collectivité territoriale) Bretagne Vivante SEPNB | |||
 |
||||
| Brief description |
Stone and archeological heritage Evolution of coastline Inventory of historical sites undertaken in the 1980s; archaeological diggings since 1988 Succession of proto-urban habitants from Neolithic times to the Roman era; major European site for study of Bronze and Iron ages Research and monitoring of petrel populations Research and monitoring of vegetation of coastal grasslands Ecology of lochs and impact of artisanal fishing on low tidal flats Long term monitoring of nesting land birds in relation to changes in the island environment Permanent study on migrations and other movements of birds Study and monitoring of threatened flagship species, the chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) (biology, ecology, impact of tourists, effect of tests to restore habitats) Permanent inventory of flora and fauna Applied studies on conservation/restoration of biotopes and habitats (wetlands, classified coastal sites) Research on the inter-tidal zone of the Molene archipelago: study of micro-habitats; changes in low tidal flats; impact of artisanal fishing on fauna/flora of tidal flats (study aiming to integrate results in a GIS using high resolution remote-sensed data) Study under completion in the ecology and dynamics of the grey seal of the Iroise Sea Study planned on the economy of fishing in the Iroise Sea Research on visitation of islets by tourists and sailing boats Sociological study on protected natural habitats and application to potential Marine National Park |
|||
| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Habitat. | |||
| Biodiversity | Biology, birds, coastal/marine, conservation, ecology, fauna, flora, freshwater/inland water, island systems/islands, mammals, methodologies, migrating populations/migration, population genetics/population dynamics, rare/endangered/threatened species, restoration/rehabilitation/redevelopment, temperate grassland, vegetation studies/plant cover, wetlands. | |||
| Socio-economic | Archaeology/Paleontology, economic studies, fishery/fisheries, recreation, social/socio-economic aspects, tourism, traditional practices/ethnology/traditional knowledge. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Environmental change, geographic information system/gis, impact and risk studies/environmental impact, remote sensing. | |||
 |
||||
| Contact address |
Véronique Hetet Réserve de biosphère d'Iroise - Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique 15 Place aux foires, BP 27 29590 LA FAOU France |
|||
| Telephone | (33) (0) 2 98 81 90 08 | |||
| Fax | ||||
|
veronique.hetet@pnr-armorique.fr |
||||
| Web site | www.pnr-armorique.fr/fr/actualite/reserveMAB_iroise.html | |||
 |
||||
| Last updated: 2/23/2007 |
|
