« Ah, cette grésigne! »: De rabil à natura 2000

Abstract

The exceptional entomological wealth of the Grésigne forest in the Tarn département ranks it as third among European forests in terms of beetle populations (2,483 species counted to date) and earned its status as a Natura 2000 site under the European Habitats directive. Saproxylic beetles, including 3 species in the Habitats directive (Limoniscus violaceus, Cerambyx cerdo and Lucanus cervus), play an essential role in wood decomposition and are an important heritage feature. The Office national des Forêts, which manages the forest, has gradually implemented management rules that protect the saproxylic beetles and their microhabitats, starting with a controlled biological reserve all the way to the drafting of a Natura 2000 objectives document. The article describes the management rules and their implementation in the field and opens up the discussion about high forest systems with over-mature trees.