Remarkable biodiversity

Ericaceae heaths

Resulting from the clearing of primary forest and from the continuous action of Man since the Neolithic period (5000 years before our era), the moors of La Hague are home to particular plant species, linked to poor and acidic soil conditions, and to a hyper-oceanic climate: gorse and heather are the most emblematic. 

Legall's gorse, bell heather, and ling are the main components of dry, low-lying heathland, while European gorse is found in areas with thicker soil. Cross-leaved heath, on the other hand, is characteristic of wet heathland. This natural environment shelters specific fauna such as the common European adder, the European tree frog, and numerous small passerines like the Dartford warbler, the most emblematic of them all.

The dunes of La Hague

Covering nearly 700 hectares, the dunes of La Hague are composed of mobile dunes, grasslands, ponds, and woodlands resulting from a plantation established at the beginning of the 20th century. These areas now need to be contained in order to preserve the grasslands. 

The mobile dune, closest to the sea, is dominated by marram grass. The grassy slopes then support low-lying vegetation such as spiked speedwell and burnet rose. These habitats are also rich in lichens and mosses. Ponds appear during the winter in the deepest parts of the dune. They are essential for the reproduction of numerous amphibian species, such as the natterjack toad.

La Mare de Vauville

In the northern part of the dune system lies a large, permanent freshwater pond of approximately 9 hectares. Since 1976, the Vauville pond, along with a portion of the adjacent dunes, totaling about 60 hectares, has been classified as a National Nature Reserve. Around the pond, vegetation forms a ring, its distribution influenced by water levels and immersion time. Composed of reeds and sweet flag irises, the reedbeds cover large areas, providing habitat for numerous marsh passerines, such as the reed warbler and the sedge cisticola.

The Vauville pond is a remarkable natural site for amphibian reproduction, with 13 species, including the great crested newt and the European tree frog, making it a site of national importance for their conservation. It also hosts numerous nesting birds, such as the common pochard and tufted duck, which are rare in Normandy. The invertebrate fauna is also significant, with over 1,200 recorded species.

The cliffs

The coastal cliffs offer harsh and inhospitable living conditions: wind, sea spray, and shallow soils. Those facing north, between Landemer and Omonville-la-Rogue, are primarily covered with bracken ferns. On the steeper slopes facing south and west, between Auderville and Herqueville, they are composed of more maritime heathland. 

Seabirds and other birds usually found in mountainous areas coexist in these rugged environments. Cormorants build their nests in colonies, while the common raven or the peregrine falcon tend to settle in more isolated locations.

Along the coastal path, the most common plants are sea campion, tormentil cinquefoil, mountain jasione, or the small perennial centaury, emblematic of La Hague.

The pebble ridges

The shingle ridges act as natural barriers, limiting coastal erosion in some areas. A few plants have adapted to them, such as sea kale and rock samphire. This is also a nesting site for the common ringed plover.

The Bocage

While the Pointe de la Hague is characterized by its dry stone or earth-built walls, the characteristic hedgerows of the Cotentin rise and thicken with dense plant formations as one gains the plateau (hawthorns and blackthorns thus give way to beeches, ash, oaks, and chestnut trees).

Whether vegetated or not, it serves as a refuge for many species and provides a link between different environments.

The valleys

The Hague region is characterized by steep-sided valleys traversed by high-quality streams comparable to small mountain rivers. Abandoned by agriculture in the 20th century, their vegetation cover evolved spontaneously into heathland, then woodlands. The particularly steep slopes and damp valley bottoms support ash, chestnut, beech, and willow trees. These valleys provide favorable conditions for certain woodland species such as owls and woodpeckers, while the streams support dense vegetation dominated by hemlock water-dropwort.