Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve is a major ecologic
site in southeastern France
. A protected nature reserve
since 1977, it covers a small area of 69 hectares (170.5 acre). It is located near the commune of Talloires
, on the eastern bank of Lake Annecy
at an elevation of 448 metres (1,469.8 ft). The Roc de Chère is a small mountain, culminating at a modest 651 metres (2,135.8 ft), which was formed by a quaternary glacier
from the south.
root *car-, which was used to designate a stony material, a rock. This significance is not entirely understood, hence Chère became a proper noun
and "Roc" (modern French
for rock) was added and is not considered a pleonastic reinforcement
.
and Menthon-Saint-Bernard
. There are numerous trail
s along the rock that offer superb panorama
s overlooking Lake Annecy. The rock plunges down towards Annecy via impressive cliffs 50 to 70 m (164 to 229.7 ft) tall. From atop one can see the lapiaz, calcareous
rocks eroded by water that are also found in Savoie
.
Formerly logged
for timber
by the monk
s from the Abbey of Talloires, the reserve nowadays is mostly covered by Sessile oak and hornbeams. A nature reserve was created in 1978 due to the exceptional biodiversity
of the site. 35% of the surface area in 2004 belonged to the Conservatoire du littoral et des rivages lacustres, an academy which deals with littoral
zones and lake shores. There is a golf course
on its northern slopes.
As a result of differing calcareous and siliceous soils (sandstone
), there are separate microclimate
s from one valley to another, supporting more than 560 plant species. Among them they include:
Glaciers have left a peat bog where one can find Drosera, mud sedge (Carex limosa
), and the Northern Emerald
(Somatochlora arctica), an insect in the order of Ordonata. In a canyon
hidden under the forest, one can find plants that are able to grow up to elevations of 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) (Rhododendron ferrugineux, Lycopode sélagine). On the other hand, on the lakeside cliffs in the hot and dry microclimate southern species (such as Acer monspessulanum) have acclimatized
and established.
A large wildlife
population has also found refuge in the reserve. Among the bird
s one can find the Eurasian Crag Martin and Peregrine Falcon
that nest in the cliffs, as well as the Black Kite
and Yellow-legged Gull
s.
On Sunday at 2:30 in the morning, three young men were killed and two seriously injured after their motor boat ran into a Roc de Chère cliff at full speed after returning from a nightclub in Annecy.
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
site in southeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. A protected nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
since 1977, it covers a small area of 69 hectares (170.5 acre). It is located near the commune of Talloires
Talloires
Talloires is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:Talloires is located south of Geneva, Switzerland, on Lake Annecy and from the local "prefecture" Annecy, near the border of Italy...
, on the eastern bank of Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France .It is the second largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget, if the French part of Lake Geneva is excluded. It is known as "Europe's cleanest lake" because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s...
at an elevation of 448 metres (1,469.8 ft). The Roc de Chère is a small mountain, culminating at a modest 651 metres (2,135.8 ft), which was formed by a quaternary glacier
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
from the south.
Etymology
The word Chère comes from the pre-Indo-EuropeanIndo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
root *car-, which was used to designate a stony material, a rock. This significance is not entirely understood, hence Chère became a proper noun
Proper noun
A proper noun or proper name is a noun representing a unique entity , as distinguished from a common noun, which represents a class of entities —for example, city, planet, person or corporation)...
and "Roc" (modern French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for rock) was added and is not considered a pleonastic reinforcement
Pleonasm
Pleonasm is the use of more words or word-parts than is necessary for clear expression: examples are black darkness, or burning fire...
.
Geography, morphology and history
The reserve is located between the communes of TalloiresTalloires
Talloires is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:Talloires is located south of Geneva, Switzerland, on Lake Annecy and from the local "prefecture" Annecy, near the border of Italy...
and Menthon-Saint-Bernard
Menthon-Saint-Bernard
Menthon-Saint-Bernard is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
. There are numerous trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s along the rock that offer superb panorama
Panorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
s overlooking Lake Annecy. The rock plunges down towards Annecy via impressive cliffs 50 to 70 m (164 to 229.7 ft) tall. From atop one can see the lapiaz, calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
rocks eroded by water that are also found in Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
.
Formerly logged
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
for timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
by the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s from the Abbey of Talloires, the reserve nowadays is mostly covered by Sessile oak and hornbeams. A nature reserve was created in 1978 due to the exceptional biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of the site. 35% of the surface area in 2004 belonged to the Conservatoire du littoral et des rivages lacustres, an academy which deals with littoral
Littoral
The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...
zones and lake shores. There is a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
on its northern slopes.
As a result of differing calcareous and siliceous soils (sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
), there are separate microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
s from one valley to another, supporting more than 560 plant species. Among them they include:
- Plants that are relics of the glacier era (lichenLichenLichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s, Carex limosaCarex limosaCarex limosa is a species of sedge known by the common names mud sedge and shore sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is an aquatic or shore plant which can most often be found in peat bogs in mountains. It is distributed across North America and Eurasia.-Description:Carex limosa has a large rhizome and...
, etc.) - Plants that are typical of the subalpineSubalpineThe subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
elevation (RhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, Lycopode sélagine, etc.) - Plants belong to submediterranean communities (such as Acer monspessulanumAcer monspessulanumMontpellier Maple is a species of maple native to the Mediterranean region from Morocco and Portugal in the west, to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine in the east, and north to the Jura Mountains in France and the Eifel in Germany.-Description:...
, Rubia tinctorumRubia tinctorumRubia tinctorum, the common madder or dyer's madder, is a plant species in the genus Rubia.The plant's roots contain several polyphenolic compounds like 1,3-Dihydroxyanthraquinone , 1,4-Dihydroxyanthraquinone , 1,2,4-Trihydroxyanthraquinone and 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone...
)
Glaciers have left a peat bog where one can find Drosera, mud sedge (Carex limosa
Carex limosa
Carex limosa is a species of sedge known by the common names mud sedge and shore sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is an aquatic or shore plant which can most often be found in peat bogs in mountains. It is distributed across North America and Eurasia.-Description:Carex limosa has a large rhizome and...
), and the Northern Emerald
Northern Emerald
The Northern Emerald is a middle-sized species of dragonfly. The male can be recognised by its pincer-like appendages and its narrow-waisted body. The female has distinctive orange-yellow spots on the third segment of the abdomen.This species lives in bogs and lays its eggs in very small...
(Somatochlora arctica), an insect in the order of Ordonata. In a canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
hidden under the forest, one can find plants that are able to grow up to elevations of 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) (Rhododendron ferrugineux, Lycopode sélagine). On the other hand, on the lakeside cliffs in the hot and dry microclimate southern species (such as Acer monspessulanum) have acclimatized
Acclimatization
Acclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
and established.
A large wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
population has also found refuge in the reserve. Among the bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s one can find the Eurasian Crag Martin and Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
that nest in the cliffs, as well as the Black Kite
Black Kite
The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...
and Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
The Yellow-legged Gull , sometimes referred to as Western Yellow-legged Gull , is a large gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species...
s.
On Sunday at 2:30 in the morning, three young men were killed and two seriously injured after their motor boat ran into a Roc de Chère cliff at full speed after returning from a nightclub in Annecy.