Natura 2000 sites in the Hautes-Alpes

What is Natura 2000?

The largest network of protected sites in Europe

Natura 2000 aims to maintain biodiversity at a European level by protecting natural habitats and the species to which they are home. The Natura 2000 network is a collection of natural terrestrial and marine sites across Europe that have been selected for the rarity or fragility of the wild species of animals and plants within them as well as for the habitats themselves.

The original feature of the Natura 2000 project lies in:
- The creation of a meshwork of sites covering the whole of continental Europe.
- The inclusion of specific local interests to reconcile the concerns of nature preservation with social-economic issues.
- The active participation of local bodies.

Natura 2000 in the Hautes-Alpes

Situated at the crossroads between the Alps and the Mediterranean, the Hautes-Alpes is home to an extremely varied biodiversity in a range of different habitats, such as forests, cliffs, scree slopes, heathlands, grasslands, rivers and wetland areas.

The preservation of these areas is often combined with the maintenance of traditional human activities (livestock farming, mowing, etc) and human activity that respects the environment (sustainable forest management schemes, river maintenance, etc)…


The Hautes-Alpes contains 23 sites covering 38.2% of the department’s total area

- 16 ‘habitat’ sites in 126 communes
- 7 ‘bird’ sites in 43 communes

Some of these habitats are included in the Natura 2000 network for their rarity in Europe. These include: steppe grasslands of a species of milk-vetch (known as ‘fox tail’); meadows of globe thistles; forests of Spanish juniper, mountain pines, and Scot’s pines that are home to Spanish moon moths; wetland areas containing yellow-bellied toads and southern damselflies; rhododendron heathlands that are home to black grouse…

find out more about the Natura 2000 sites