The biodiversity of the Normandy-Maine Park territory is composed of common species but also of rarer and more fragile ones. For those which the Park has a greater responsibility, four plans for species or groups of species have been drawn up - for the White-Clawed Crayfish, for bats, one for flora and one for butterflies.
Bats
18 species are present on the Park territory. All protected, some species are more rare than others. Among the best known are the Pipistrelles, small bats that are frequently seen flying around lamp posts at dusk. Through the conservation plan, the Park is committed to improving awareness of these species and implementing actions for their protection.
The White-Clawed Crayfish
The White-Clawed Crayfish is the only species of crayfish native to the Park.
It is in a severe decline at national level. Present on the whole national territory until the 1970s, it now only exists in limited sections of well oxygenated rivers. There are still a few of these on the Park's territory.
Its main causes of decline are due to the degradation of the physico-chemical quality of the waters, the destruction of their environment (development projects, cleaning and displacement of waterways) and especially to the introduction of exotic species (notably the Signal Crayfish, a healthy carrier of Aphanomyces astaci or "crayfish plague" which is most often fatal to native crayfish).
Actions are carried out within the framework of the conservation plan to protect the remaining habitats of White-Clawed Crayfish on our territory.
La flore
Launched in 2015, the conservation plan for the flora concerns a dozen or so plants for which the Park territory is amongst the last refuges within Normandy and Pays de la Loire regions.
The plan concerns species with a particular ecology such as mountain species (Common Bistort, Beech Fern, Spoonleaf Sundew, Hare's-tail Cottongrass), plants with a very rainy climate (Tunbridge Filmy Fern, Floating Water Plantain) or orchids (Longbract Frog Orchid).
In close partnership with the land owners and the territory stakeholders, the Park carries out population counting of these plants. Depending on the results of this monitoring, management can be adjusted to support these species.
Butterflies
The park is home to 85 species of butterflies, including several species of significant heritage importance such as the Marsh Fritillary and the Large Blue. The development of the conservation plan has highlighted 10 species, for which the Park has a responsibility in terms of the conservation of populations and consequently in the management of natural habitats essential to their reproduction.
For each species, the Park and its partners have identified pilot sites where populations are monitored and where management measures are adapted or implemented.
Activities on natural areas
To help maintain the species concerned by the four conservation plans and to preserve the remarkable natural environments of its territory, the Park carries out various actions: maintenance of abandoned meadows, installation of bat dropping collectors in church attics, installation of fences to limit the trampling of certain plants...