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Fauna and flora of the salt

A natural habitat close to the Mediterranean: the salt marshes are wetlands with important biological diversity.

By simply circulating the waters, the salt marsh workers have always protected this environment and contributed to the development of the wealth of flora and fauna.

This natural habitat is therefore home to a wide variety of aquatic and migratory birds; and an extensive variety of flora: with species suited to the coastal marshes and the more arid environments.

The two following files will show you the diverse variety of birds and flora of the Camargue salt marshes :

   The Birds of the Camargue Salt Marshes  
 

[ Download in pdf format document available in French only ]

The Camargue and its salt marshes are home to 86 species of aquatic birds, and 115 other types of birds, either all year round or during the migration period.

On average, the salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes and Salin-de-Giraud provide a home to 7,500 pink flamingos, which represent 30% of the flamingo population in France. To feed, they need more than two tonnes of invertebrates per day.

The feeding, rest and reproduction activities of this enormous and varied bird population are today guaranteed thanks to the salt extraction activity, which has contributed to the creation of this remarkable environment.
     
   The Flora of the Camargue Salt Marshes  


 

[  Download in pdf format document available in French only ]

The Camargue and its salt marshes are home to a unique heritage of 192 species of plants with an astonishing ability to adapt to the salt water environment. Eighteen of these plants benefit from protected species status.

Some of these plants – like ligneous soda, glasswort, madder and Ephedra distachia - trace the history of the Camargue. The survival of most of these plants depends on the degree of salinity of the water. Salins rigorously manages the sea waters to maintain this delicate balance, which is also vital for the extraction of sea salt.

This management also extends to the supplemental sources of fresh water in the surrounding area and Salins contributes to their protection in case of heavy rainfall.

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