The Ecrins National Park
Protected territory of high mountains
The Ecrins National Park in a few figures
The Ecrins National Park is the oldest of the 11 national parks currently in existence. It was created in 1973 on the initiative of mountaineers, naturalists and the French Alpine Club, on the basis of the former Bérarde National Park created some sixty years earlier, with an environmental perspective: to protect the mountain from the development of pastures that lead to erosion, deforestation and runoff.
Located in the departments of Isère and Hautes Alpes, the Ecrins National Park extends between the valleys of the Romanche to the north, the Guisane and the Durance to the east and south, and the Drac to the west.
The Barre des Ecrins dominates the massif from its height of 4102 m and more than 150 peaks exceed 3000 m.
Seven valleys make up the seven regions of the park. We distinguish:
- to the North, Oisans and Briançonnais
- to the West, Valbonnais and Valgaudemar
- to the South, Champsaur and Embrunais
- to the East, Vallouise
The park covers nearly 160 ha divided into 000 ha of forests, 57 ha of mountain pastures and 300 ha of glaciers.
The “heart of the park”, which covers 92 hectares, represents the area to be protected par excellence and is therefore subject to strict regulations for this purpose.
The membership area is the peripheral zone of the park and 49 municipalities are part of it.
The missions of the Ecrins National Park
When it was originally created in 1973, the park was intended to conserve its natural heritage. But over time, the protection perimeter has expanded to include landscape heritage and especially cultural heritage since 2006.
The main mission of protecting biodiversity involves the proper management and conservation of heritage in the heart of the park, and the promotion of activities compatible with respect for nature in the membership area.
Acting well to safeguard this natural heritage requires a good knowledge and understanding of this territory. Also, scientific knowledge of heritage and support for research are essential issues.
Similarly, ensuring better functioning of institutions, involving local stakeholders in the park charter, contributing to regional, national and European policies for sustainable development and heritage protection are essential missions for acting in a sustainable manner.
Finally, welcoming and informing the public is important to foster a culture of nature. Educational, environmental awareness and knowledge sharing activities are implemented in particular in the Park Houses.
The Heritage of the Ecrins Park
Natural heritage
The geological and climatic situation of the Ecrins National Park makes it an exceptional territory in terms of biological, landscape and cultural wealth which it is essential to conserve in a sustainable manner.
Straddling the Southern Alps and the Northern Alps, the park extends from 710 m to 4102 m above sea level, which explains the extreme diversity of the fauna and flora: 2500 plant species and 2200 animal species have been recorded, including 75 species of mammals, 235 of birds, and 1000 of butterflies.
Thus, one can come across the very Mediterranean Ocellated Lizard on the southern foothills of the Park, or have the chance to admire the Glacier Buttercup which grows up to 4000 m altitude on moraines and scree. In a microscopic dimension, single-celled algae are able to develop on the surface of the snow causing a reddish coloration of the snowfields, which testifies to its presence.
The site BIODIV'ECRINS is an atlas listing all the wildlife species records observed by park agents since its creation. It contains approximately 64 observations divided into 0000 species in the 7 municipalities of the national park. Each species record includes a map with the numbers and sites of observations, the distribution according to altitude and month of the year, as well as photos and additional information. The municipality records list all the species observed in each municipality and the map of the municipality shows the observation sites.
Lakes and rivers are part of the landscape heritage but they also constitute an important water resource. These high-altitude ecosystems are extremely fragile and can host certain populations that should be protected, such as the alpine newt. This native and rare amphibian cannot tolerate competition with salmonids, which is why it is found in certain small lakes that have never been stocked. Glaciers, emblematic environments of this high mountain territory, occupy the central place of the park. The Girose glacier, attached to the Mont de Lans glacier, is the largest glacier in the Ecrins National Park, covering more than 10% of its glacial surface. Our local challengers, the Blanc glacier and the Noir glacier, come in 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.
Landscape heritage
Beneath the high mountains of the Ecrins National Park, there is a whole series of landscapes shaped by man over time to gain ground on the mountain and allow him to settle on this territory, to live there, to cultivate, and to develop activities.
We then see landscapes built of low walls, terraces and irrigation channels, witnesses of agricultural activity. The agricultural areas of hillsides are used as pastures and hay meadows, the plains are most often used for crops. The habitats are mainly located in the valleys, on the hillsides and in the plains, but we also find isolated habitats used by shepherds. Forests are very present and also have an important role for the economy, with the production of wood, but they also participate in the prevention of natural risks. The mountain pastures crisscrossed by the herds occupy various environments such as meadows, lawns or larch forests, between 1200 and 2800 m altitude depending on the season. Water participates in the division of the territory and appears to us in different forms: torrents, ponds, high-altitude lakes, waterfalls, glaciers. It contributes to ecological diversity and is an essential resource for the economy and leisure activities.
Infrastructure is necessary for the local economy but it significantly changes the landscape: roads, railway tracks, power lines and ski lifts become landmarks in the landscape. The same is true for sites of industrial activities or production, electricity or timber exploitation.
The mountain discovery facilities form a network that contributes to the enhancement of all the landscapes. The trails, car parks and refuges are the main elements.
Cultural Heritage
Of rural and mountain tradition, different cultural and sociological domains touching on practices and uses arouse interest in the Ecrins National Park. Their mountain roots make them unique.
High mountains: the history of mountaineering is studied using an approach that takes into account hunting and gathering practices, routes and exchanges between valleys.
Water landscapes: we are interested in fishing practices and the history of stocking, the use of lakes, gorges and torrents, the history of hydraulic developments and the uses of water in the mountains from catchment to distribution.
Alpine pastures and pastures: we focus on the evolution and practices of pastoralism as it shapes the landscape between valleys and high-altitude meadows. A collection of experiences and uses in pastoral territories completes this study.
Agricultural landscapes: priority is given to terraces, hay meadows and mountain hedgerows. The history of crop types and the evolution of agricultural landscape types and practices is the basis.
Built heritage: we focus on the history of dwellings in isolated sites and the activities of an agro-pastoral society (occupations, techniques and construction methods, circulation and links with nearby villages and towns and with the mountain area in general). Remarkable buildings or buildings representing a singularity of use of space and its resources complete this aspect of built heritage. Pastoral huts are widely distributed across the territory.
Scientific research actions
To preserve this exceptional natural heritage, which led to the creation of the National Park, it is important to know it well and therefore to study and monitor it. The various inventory, monitoring and study programmes undertaken in the area all pursue this objective. Some focus on emblematic botanical species such as the blue thistle, the Dauphiné cinquefoil or the lady's slipper, others study natural environments and high-altitude wild species, or participate in monitoring the evolution of landscapes.
The “Sentinel Lakes” network
THE “SENTINEL LAKES” NETWORK was created in 2009, following a European study program led by the National Office for Water and Aquatic Environments, with the aim of preserving mountain lakes. Its purpose is to study the effects of climate change on these lakes. To do this, it has set itself the mission of better understanding how these lakes function and identifying the threats to them; the aim being to define an action plan for managing these environments, in order to better preserve them.
Man also influences this ecosystem more or less directly because high altitude lakes do not host fish and the coldest ones are free of aquatic vegetation. Stocking is practiced in some lakes because of the enrichment of a single species per lake. Lakes collect waste such as discharges from refuges or herd droppings. They are even subject to atmospheric pollution sometimes from far away.
Coordinated by Asters, Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Haute-Savoie, the "Lacs Sentinelles" network brings together three types of partners. The managers of protected areas and aquatic environments (Ecrins-Vanoise-Mercantour national parks, Natura 2000 sites, national nature reserves and regional nature parks) are the field actors who ensure monitoring.
Scientists and academics analyze collected data and help understand how these systems work and the issues involved. Users of high-altitude lakes (fishing associations, hydroelectric plant operators, walkers, etc.) provide their historical knowledge of the sites and associated practices and share their expectations regarding the future of the lakes.
In the Ecrins National Park, the lakes concerned are the lakes of Plan Vianney, Muzelle, Pétarel and the lake of Pisses.
See the report by Céline Aubert and Dominique Semet on France3 Alpes, “ HIGH ALTITUDE LAKES, THESE “SENTINELS” OF THE ENVIRONMENT", produced on the occasion of the network meetings in Bourg d'Oisans in 2015 and illustrated by several extracts from the film "Lacs sentinelles".
The “Sentinel Shelters”
The refuges are witnesses and actors of environmental changes but also of social and cultural transformations of the mountain. They are at the convergence of the flow of sports tourists very attached to the discovery of nature and many already offer an educational approach to the mountain. And their remote location makes them privileged sites to observe the high mountains.
It is in this context of interactions that the program “SENTINEL SHELTERS” supported by the Ecrins National Park and the Laboratory of Excellence Innovation & Mountain Territories (LabEx ITEM) of the University of Grenoble-Alpes. This program aims to design an experimental observation device for change in high mountains based on the mountain refuge as a place of measurement, observation, work and exchanges between natural and social sciences, taking into account both geophysical, climatic and biological processes and tourist and sporting practices.
Among the 11 partner shelters of the park, the Pelvoux and Le Kern shelters are located in Vallouise.
The main research areas are on the social sciences side: visitor flows, changes in sports practices and tourism professions, and on the natural sciences side: meteorology, climatology, biodiversity, geomorphology, risks and safety. They are implemented in the park's partner refuges, in the form of surveys and collection of quantitative and qualitative data, in situ observations, photo-observations or even collaborative workshops involving mountain professionals, practitioners and users of the refuges.
Itinerant stays based on this program are supervised by a mountain guide to participate in ongoing research. This mode of ecotourism with a scientific vocation proposes to make observations of flora and geological movements, and to collect this data in specific applications.
Glacier monitoring
Glaciers are emblematic elements of the high mountain landscape, whose evolution is important for the water resources of the valleys and can be visible on a scale of only a few years. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Ecrins National Park has set up glacier monitoring programs, with the support of the Institute of Environmental Geosciences (formerly the Laboratory of Glaciology and Environmental Geophysics) in Grenoble and INRAE Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly Irstea).
Since 1980, park agents have been taking measurements on several glaciers and the data accumulated over the long term contribute to studies on global climate change. Photographic series taken from the same location and using the same framing make it possible to follow the evolution of the landscapes, which is sometimes spectacular, as at the Blanc glacier in recent years. Rock glaciers, such as the Noir glacier and the Laurichard glacier, are monitored by annual topographic surveys that measure the evolution of the glacier front.
Since 2004, the 460 ha of the Blanc glacier have been the subject of special attention. The Blanc glacier is the longest glacier in the Ecrins massif with almost 5500 m along. It begins at an altitude of 4015 m at the summit of the Dôme des Ecrins, on the northern slope of the Barre des Ecrins, and stretches to around 2450 m.
The glacial retreat, which has accelerated over the past 35 years with a loss of 760 m in length, is calculated each year with 2 series of measurements, at the end of winter and at the end of summer. In mid-May, the accumulation of ice produced during the winter season is calculated. At the end of September, the melting of ice is estimated at the front of the glacier. Thus, the result of the accumulation minus the melting gives the mass balance of the glacier which reflects its health.
Since the inventory carried out in 1971 across the entire French Alps, the average surface area of glaciers has decreased by 26%. In the Ecrins massif, glacial retreat is 37%: this is 3 times more than in the Mont Blanc massif. But this is explained by lower peaks in the Ecrins and by the proximity to the Mediterranean Sea which brings a certain climatic mildness.
The Lauvitel integral reserve
THE INTEGRAL RESERVE OF LAUVITEL is an area in which human presence is extremely limited, and therefore it suffers very little external disturbance. Created in 1995, its purpose is to monitor the natural dynamics of ecosystems that are little subject to human action, and is located in Oisans on a 700 ha area adjoining Lake Lauvitel. Only researchers can access it for scientific reasons. This open-air laboratory focuses on three main areas: fauna and flora, the study of environments, and the monitoring of physical measurements at the lake level. To identify living species, the Ecrins National Park relies on its agents but also on a vast network of experts including researchers, naturalists, rangers and mountain guides. Since the inventory began in 2013, 38 specialists and around ten park agents have been mobilized.
Given the diversity of insects' lifestyles and habitats, there are different ways to spot them: direct observation, semi-buried traps for soil insects and light traps for nocturnal insects. Sound recorders are also used.
In addition to species monitoring, new species were identified for the first time in the world (2 wasps, 1 mushroom, 1 lichen), others for the first time in France, and still others were seen again after 50 years of disappearance. The canopy was invested for the first time in 2020: the opportunity to discover new treasures...
In total, 2628 animal and plant species, fungi, mosses and lichens have been observed to date, including 1069 insect species. This last group, which is the vast majority in the reserve and elsewhere, is currently known to only 50% of the reality it occupies in the biodiversity of the site, according to experts.
The study of the environments concerns the evolution of the valley in general, such as its history through the study of lake sediments, or the history of its forest through the study of small charcoals that reflect the population of trees and shrubs from which they come. This forest has become the ideal reference model for a forest that has become virgin again since it has not been exploited for 100 years. Small and large trees, young and old, coexist and the dead wood that remains on site promotes extreme biodiversity. The evolution of the lawns is carried out on 3 different altitude zones, analyzed several years apart, in which we focus on plant diversity as well as on the surface and volume occupied by each species. Unexpected variations in plant species suggest that two factors have come to disturb the meadows: chamois come to restore themselves and damage certain lawns, and avalanches prevent the anticipated installation of certain plant species.
The last area of study concerns the physical measurements relating to the lake. A topographical study of the lake bed was carried out with some 700 measuring points. Scientists now have a precise map of the lake, reaching a depth of 65 m. Near real-time readings of the temperature and level of the lake are taken by sensors. The enormous variation in level between summer and winter, which can be up to 30 m, and can reach 1 m per day in June, is explained by the melting of snow and to a lesser extent by rainfall. The lake is also studied as a natural dam probably formed by a landslide. A weather station was set up in 2002 to complete the studies.
Study of fauna
The heart of the park is classified in the European Natura 2000 network for the protection and conservation of a dozen birds. The birds concerned are the ALPINE POTMROSS (priority issues in terms of demography and protection of nesting areas), theROYAL EAGLE, the European Pygmy Owl, the Tengmalm's Owl, the Red-billed Chough, the Hazel Grouse, the Bearded Vulture, the Rock Partridge, the LYRE GROUSE, the griffon vulture, the short-toed eagle and the black woodpecker. Large counting operations, in which the public can participate, are organized in August for the vultures and in October for the bearded vulture. Around forty pairs of golden eagles are currently counted.
The avian fauna of the prairies is also the subject of monitoring, in particular the CORNCRAKE and whinchat.
Colonies of IBEX have been reintroduced. Counts are carried out each year and a GPS tracking programme is underway, allowing individuals fitted with a radio collar to be tracked. A monitoring programme by certain schools is in place.
Le CHAMOIS serves as an indicator to prevent the risk of disease transmission between wildlife and domestic herds. Monitoring takes into account the number of individuals, the population reproduction rate and its health status.
Le VARIABLE HARE, another emblematic species of the high mountains, is also under surveillance. A demographic study is carried out from droppings collected on the snow in winter by genetic analysis.
Several species of bats are among the animals of interest to the territory: the BARBASTELLE, the greater and lesser bat, the greater and lesser horseshoe bat, the Schreibers' bat, the notched-eared bat, the Bechstein's bat. Some of their roosts are under video surveillance and some hunting grounds are subject to acoustic monitoring; these techniques have the major advantage of not creating any nuisance.
But it is necessary to be able to compare the data on the park's fauna with that of other unprotected territories. This is why the park collaborates with many networks such as the Mountain Galliformes Observatory, the Observatory of Large Fauna and its Habitats or the Large Carnivore Network of the National Office of Hunting and Wildlife for monitoring the two large predators that are the WOLF and the lynx.
Study of flora
The Ecrins National Park offers a varied landscape extending from meadows to high mountains, including alpine pastures and forests. This climatic context favors the development of a wide range of plant species. In addition to the floral inventories carried out through various research and conservation programs in the park, certain species arouse particular interest.
This is the case for rare species such as the blue thistle or QUEEN OF THE ALPS, which is studied in the Deslioures Managed Biological Reserve, in the Fournel valley. This site currently constitutes the largest grouping of blue thistles in Europe. The DAUPHINE POTENTALO also benefits from monitoring due to its rarity.
Southern species characteristic of the Southern Alps are also being studied, including lawn and grass plants such as the thuriferous juniper, NARD or the evergreen sedge or species from high-altitude forests such as LARCH and the Swiss stone pine.
The "Vertical Ecology" research program, developed by the Alpine Ecology Laboratory, studies the distribution and evolutionary history of species characteristic of alpine environments: high mountain cushion plants, such as musk saxifrage and SILENE ACULES, clinging to steep walls in the high mountains.
Another program aims to study changes in climatic conditions through biological monitoring of peat bog mosses: sphagnum mosses.
Living organisms in water are also studied: freshwater phytoplankton and the surprising Chlamydomonas nivalis, a microscopic algae from glaciers.
Discovering the Parc des Ecrins
The Houses of the Park
There are seven Park Houses, one per region, as well as other seasonal information points. VALLOUISE PARK HOUSE is open all year round; the Pré de Mme Carle reception chalet is open in July and August.
Park discovery programs are offered to the public based on thematic visits, activities and conferences. There are also permanent and temporary exhibitions and screening rooms, specific discovery materials produced by the agents, as well as a specialized bookstore on nature and the mountains containing works published by the park. The Park Houses are therefore privileged places in which the staff and the rangers present also provide assistance in preparing hikes.
Supervised discovery outings
The Ecrins National Park has set up around a hundred outings supervised by guides or companions who are partners of the park, with the aim of safely discovering the natural, cultural and landscape heritage, and local know-how. The programs vary according to the seasons and the regions of the park.
Different themes are at the heart of these walks: fauna, flora, geology, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, cultural heritage, safety. In the spring, outings to discover the fauna and flora are offered, such as meeting the yellow-bellied toad, a small, rare and protected toad, near Embrun, or observing migratory birds above the Durance. In the summer, a botanical outing is organized around the picking of wild plants that will be used to prepare a shared meal in the evening in a gîte in Oisans. In Vallouise, you can discover fossils of marine animals on the heights of the Blanche at an altitude of around 2300 m.
A whole range of sporting outings are also offered: hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing or skiing, during the day or at night, sometimes combined with dinners to enjoy the local cuisine, or even outings on rock faces (climbing, via ferrata, mountaineering).
Regulations in the heart of the Ecrins National Park
In order to preserve the character of the park, this territory is subject to specific regulations that more or less strictly regulate certain activities in order to ensure their compatibility with the preservation of the natural, cultural and landscape heritage. Remember to find out about the regulations before setting off on a walk.
Blue-white-red flags painted on rocks mark the boundaries of the heart of the park.
No dogs, even on a leash or carried on your person, for the peace and quiet of wild animals and herds.
No picking of plants, nor collection of fossils and minerals.
No hunting: all animals are protected.
No dumping of waste in nature.
No fire to avoid the risk of fire and not damage the floors.
Do not feed wild animals: they must maintain their wild behavior towards humans and their good health depends on it!
No noise, no disturbance for everyone's peace and quiet.
No camping to avoid pollution and preserve the sites.
Bivouacking (tent or a basic camp for one night, from sunset to the next morning) is permitted between 19pm and 9am at least one hour's walk from the park boundaries or a road access. If the camp is set up less than an hour's walk away, it must be near refuges frequented by long-distance hiking trails (Pré de la Chaumette, near Lac de la Muzelle in Venosc and Pré des Selles near Lac Lauvitel in Bourg d'Oisans).
No vehicles outside authorized lanes.
No mountain biking for trail conservation.
The use of drones is prohibited.
The Esprit Parc brand
Created in 2015, the Esprit Parc National brand promotes the men and women who, within national parks, share their passion for their territory, their know-how and nature. It certifies that the products and services offered are part of an ecological process that preserves biodiversity and heritage.
Photo credits : Clot Saint Joseph / Ecrins National Park
