The Néouvielle massif () is a group of
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
s in the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
notable for its
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
s and its
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...
. Much of the massif lies within the
Néouvielle National Nature Reserve; this
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
was created in 1936 and is the third oldest in France.
The name ''Néouvielle'' ('old snow') derives from ''nèu vielha'' in the
Occitan language
Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Valleys, as well as Spain's Val d'Aran in Catalonia; collectively, ...
– ''nèu'' meaning 'snow' and ''vielha'' meaning 'old' – and is thought to refer to the many
glaciers
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
that used to belong to the region.
Néouvielle group
This group is centred on Pic de Néouvielle and is composed of heavily glaciated granite peaks.
*
Pic de Néouvielle 3,091 m
*
Trois Conseillers 3,039 m
*
Turon de Néouvielle 3,035 m
*
Pic Ramougn 3,011 m
*
Pic de la Coume de l'Ours 2,855 m
*
Pic de la Morèle 2,679 m
*
Pic de la Hèche Castet 2,568 m
*
Pic Prudent 2,287 m
Pic Long-Campbieil group
This group lies to the south of the Néouvielle group and is outside the 'réserve naturelle du Néouvielle'.
*
Pic Long 3,192 m
*
Campbieil 3,173 m
*
Pic Badet 3,160 m
*
Pic Maou 3,074 m
*
Pic Maubic 3,058 m
*
Pic de Buggaret 3,031 m
*
Pic de Crabounouse 3,021 m
*
Dent d'Estibère 3,017 m
*
Estaragne 3,006 m
*
Pic des Halharisès 2,995 m
*
Pic Méchant, 2,930 m
*
Pic de Bugatet 2,877 m
Flora and fauna
The massif enjoys a variety of climatic influences and supports a wide variety of plant and animal species, including
''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''uncinata'' (a subspecies of mountain pine) which grows in abundance between elevations of 1,600–2,300 m,
cross-leaved heath, the arctic
marsh cinquefoil, 94 species of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...
and several Mediterranean species, as well as some 22 species of
sphagnum moss
''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...
in the bogs within the park.
Approximately 370 species of animal are found in the reserve, including
capercaillie
''Tetrao'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Feathers from the bird were used to create the characteristic hat of the bersaglieri, an Italian ace infantry formation.
...
,
grey partridge,
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
,
griffon vulture,
isard,
midwife toad,
ptarmigan and
Seoanei's viper.
Lakes
*
Lac d'Aubert
*
Lac d'Aumar
*
Lac de Cap de Long
*
Lac de Madamète
*
Lac d'Orédon
*
Lac de l'Oule
References
External links
Information about the réserve naturelle du Néouvielle (in French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neouvielle Massif
Mountains of the Pyrenees
Mountains of Hautes-Pyrénées
Nature reserves in France