Haute Vallée de la Touques et affluents translated as the Upper Touques valley and tributaries is a Natura 2000 conservation area that is 1,400 hectares in size.
Geography
The area is a very hilly, shaped by the rivers which dug their beds into the limestone formations of the Cenomanian geological layer. The area features a mix of Beech-oak forests, dry limestone hillsides and also contain bat caves.
It is spread across 11 different communes within the Orne department and a single commune within the Calvados department;
Aubry-le-Panthou Avernes-Saint-Gourgon Le Bosc-Renoult Canapville Gouffern en Auge Livarot-Pays-d'Auge Montreuil-la-Cambe Pontchardon Roiville Saint-Gervais-des-Sablons Sap-en-Auge Ticheville
Conservation
The conservation area has ten species listed in Annex 2 of the Habitats Directive;
European bullhead Cottus perifretum Atlantic stream crayfish Marsh fritillary Western barbastelle Bechstein's bat Geoffroy's bat Greater mouse-eared bat Greater horseshoe bat Lesser horseshoe bat
In addition the Natura 2000 site has 7 habitats protected under the Habitats Directive.
References