Vegetation

Riparian vegetation, which grows along riverbanks, includes trees (willows, ash trees, alders, poplars, oaks, etc.), shrubs (hazelnuts, dogwoods, etc.) and herbaceous plants (rushes, reeds, water irises, etc.). Adapted to flooding, it plays an essential role in stabilizing riverbanks, regulating water levels, filtering water, maintaining biodiversity, and shaping landscapes.

In the past, this natural forest provided rural communities with firewood, fodder, tool handles, and other resources, ensuring that it was well maintained and preserved along riverbanks. Today, it is often degraded. Its management remains essential to preserve its ecological functions.

On the island of Beaucaire, the riparian forest combines local species (white willow, black alder, common ash, etc.) and a few ornamental species, integrated into the landscape of the Tarn.