Les coteaux secs de Cournon-d'Auvergne

A protected site, the dry hillsides of Cournon d'Auvergne formed by the Vaugondières plateau and the summit of the puy d'Anzelle are home to a remarkable ecosystem resulting from a long agricultural history and a sheltered microclimate.
To the north of Cournon-d'Auvergne, the Vaugondières plateau and the summit of the puy d'Anzelle constitute a natural area of around 50 hectares protected by an arrêté préfectoral de protection de biotope since 1992, and included in the Natura 2000 network. This network expresses the European Union's desire to preserve natural or semi-natural sites of great heritage value, due to the exceptional flora and fauna they contain. The site's rich animal and plant life is the result of a long agricultural history and a sheltered microclimate. The site is monitored and managed by the French League for the Protection of Birds.


A special agricultural history

At the end of the 19th century, the plateau was covered in vines. Phylloxera and mildew forced farmers to uproot the vines. The vines gave way to lawns grazed by sheep. A fauna and flora characteristic of dry grasslands then developed. Maintained by sheep until 1960, today's dry grasslands are preserved by man to prevent the colonization of shrubs and undergrowth.


A little corner of Provence in Cournon-d'Auvergne

The area enjoys a sheltered microclimate due to the Foehn effect. Clouds are held back by the relief of the Sancy and Puys massifs, so rainfall is low, but is also rapidly absorbed by the marl-limestone soil. This, combined with the south-facing slopes, creates a warmer climate. As a result, the flora and fauna are typical of Mediterranean regions. Nearly 270 species of flowers have been recorded, some of them protected for their rarity. 54 species of butterflies and nearly 30 nesting birds have also been inventoried.