Nature to regain its rights has nothing surprising

This is an astonishing biodiversity revealed this summer the Faunal inventory led the Naturama association on two flowering meadows planted in city to Saint-Genis-Laval in the southwestern suburbs of Lyon. In the flow of vehicles along busy artery chosen to host this fallow of 3,300 square metres, the ecologists have recorded not less 77 species of insects and in their wake a dozen species of bats on the identified 25 in France. "Nature to regain its rights has nothing surprising." "But the pace of colonization a surprise," said Christophe Darpheuil, President of the association.

The two Prairie planted a classic pastoral mixture composed of Fescue and 20 wild species (Daisy, poppy, forget-me-not, knapweed Blueberry, lin, yarrow, concern...). "New species emerged spontaneously, including orchids scapegoats for their rarity." A month army traps and nets, the association has taken everything that moved in the crazy grass: ants, beetles, pseudo-scorpions, Hymenoptera, flies, bugs, butterflies, bees, ladybugs...

After a few weeks, each took place in this listed as an immense jungle across the "microcosmos". Predators, foraging, Pollinations, decomposers feeding on corpses and dead wood. Acting as an oasis in the city, the prairies were regularly visited by the family of bees including many species of which some are protected as the Bumblebee "Megabombus ruderatus."

Number of hunters were seized the opportunity of this land: time-consuming ladybugs for aphid (each larva can devour in up to 150 per day), Earwigs, syrphid larvae, mirides be entertaining mealybugs and mites, greedy gendarmes of insect eggs, vespidae, spiders, harvestmen...

An essential role

In this ballet flying and scramblers, prairie plays an essential role. "The choice of the seed is important, says Christophe Darpheuil.". Clover crawling as other attractive flowers has a smell of honey attracts bees. Like all strong perfume Honeysuckle attracts butterflies. Popular flowers by flies and other Diptera have an unpleasant smell reminiscent of carrion. "The Fabaceae (vulnerary, alfalfa...) incorporate-fixing nodules of resulting nitrogen of a symbiosis with bacteria. Their metabolism is a hemoprotein which creates an anaerobic environment favourable to their development. Their degradation enriches the soil. The Convolvulaceae have their vines to cling to other plants to keep the wind. Some, such as the bindweed, attract bees. At the end of the string, Earwigs, muscidae, gendarmes, harvestmen, millipedes and other Woodlice decompose organic matter.

Fallows écocitoyennes

Saint-Genis-Laval is not the first city to complete the experience. At Vannes, planting prairies in the city became a habit for five years. Operation gives rise to a festival that invites residents to plant Prairie flower in their garden by distributing free bags of seeds. Example shows the Town Hall. Last spring, she has stocked 2 hectares of land, on roundabouts, paths, gardens. "The balance is positive, said Charles Rosiau, responsible for parks and gardens to the Town Hall services.". For these plots, we use fertilizer, watering, or clippings. "Better: inputs of organic material resulting from these wild crops promote the stability of the soil and increase the water reserve.

Left in the wild does not surrender. Green spaces service thus implemented a maintenance plan adapted to the profile of each field to eliminate where possible the use of plant protection products. "Dice reasoned herbage explore all alternatives to chemical treatments, such as the use of thermal and mechanical solutions", explains an elected to the Chamber of agriculture. Pesticides no longer have their place when the bees, bats or green fly protect the cultures of their predators.

The interest of these Fallows is social. A valves, 15 primary schools participate in operation "campaign invites to the city". Learn how to manage a biological garden and small build refuges for insects and animals.

At Saint-Genis-Laval, the eco-citizenship also through these grasslands. "They have a Scout role to reconcile the city and nature, explains Christophe Darpheuil." Our urban gaze is formatted by a nature sterilized and calibrated. Fallows are an opportunity to learn about this environment delivered to himself. "And why step draw a label of biodiversity By extracting the Census quantified species control bio-indicators, the index could attest to the eco-sensitivity of a city. The seed is planted, the idea...