Forests, Parks and Nature reserves in Wallonia.

• Forests, Parks and Nature Reserves in Wallonia
• Calendar Forests, Parks and Nature Reserves
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• The Fauna of our Forests
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The Fauna of our Forests

© OPT-Flemal - Chevetogne

The forest ecosystems are an important reservoir of biological diversity. If we limit ourselves to the diversity of species, we notice that for the 167 birds, 60 mammals, 7 reptiles and14 amphibians that reproduce in Walloina, 119 species are found in the forest, that is to say 75 birds, 32 mammals, 4 reptiles and 8 amphibians. Every plant essence has its range of animal species, varying with the stages of its development.

© Flémal - OPT - Han

The more complex the plant structure is, the greater the diversity will be. A few examples of typical forest species:
- among the mammals: the martyr, mostly present in the Ardenne and the Gaume; the wild cat, who has recolonised the South West of the country from the 50s onwards; the hazel dormouse, only in the forest.
- among the birds: the black stork, the European honey-buzard, the black and red kite, the hasel grouse, the black, grey-headed and middle-spotted woodpecker, the Tengmalm’s owl. Moreover, certain species benefit from the presence of introduced resinous essences: the long-eared owl, the common crossbill, the Eurasian sparrowhawk, the goldcrest, the spotted nutcracker...
The forest and its edge often also form a refuge and a reproduction place for numerous species, that are not exclusively live in the forests.

© OPT-Flemal - Han

The large game
The Walloon forest has never been this rich in large game (stag, roe, deer, mouflon, wild boar), as is shown by the evolution of the populations that have been inventoried these past twenty years. We notice that the effective number of large game has risen by more than 50% in 20 years. Of course this very high density cause problems for foresters: on the one hand by causing direct damages to trees (rubbing and barking), on the other hand by compromising the possibilities for natural regenerations and diversification too often. Management plans have been introduced in order to regulate these populations, that because of their overpopulation could damage the ecological balance of the forest.