Toile verte

One of the missions of the Jura vaudois regional nature park is to conserve its natural and landscape heritage. Multiple actions are carried out in the field to preserve the region's biodiversity. One of the main causes of its decline is the lack of functional connection points between the different habitats of the fauna and flora. The Park is committed to improving the quality of its network by supporting biotope restoration and planting native hedges and high-stemmed fruit trees. It also helps municipalities in its territory to manage green spaces for more biodiversity in built environments. All these actions are part of the "Toile verte" project initiated in 2016. Here are a few examples:

Agro-ecological ponds

The network of natural wetlands on the Jura ridges is incomplete. This is due to the fact that the limestone subsoil of the region is particularly permeable. Few surface water reservoirs remain. The biodiversity of the few existing bodies of water and marshes needs relay biotopes organised to form a network. To meet this challenge, the Park has created the concept of agro-ecological ponds on the mountain pastures. Combining water retention basins for livestock and an ecological auxiliary component, these ponds serve both agro-pastoralism and local biodiversity.

Revitalising natural sites

A decommissioned gravel pit in Le Brassus has also been the focus of the "Toile verte" programme. Revitalisation and monitoring this site over a number of years have enhanced this already promising area in terms of biodiversity. Lamprodila decipiens, a small colourful wood boring beetle, has since been observed on this site. This is the only observation of this insect, which is on the red list of threatened species, recorded in the Vallée de Joux. A further nine biotopes in the park are being revitalised or monitored.

Biodiversity diagnostics in villages

Thanks to Toile verte, 20 villages in the Jura vaudois nature park area have benefited from a professional assessment of their green space management and an evaluation of the potential for hosting biodiversity in their area. At the end of the diagnosis, each municipality receives an action plan containing recommendations such as planting trees, creating meadows or installing nesting boxes. The three communes of the Vallée de Joux are already involved in the project.