
A Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique (Natural area of ecological, faunal and floristic interest), abbreviated as ZNIEFF, is a type of natural environment recognized by
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 ...
.
The inventory of a ZNIEFF area is an inventory of natural resources and scientific program launched in 1982 by Minister of Environment
Huguette Bouchardeau and confirmed by the Act of July 12, 1983 called the Bouchardeau act. A ZNIEFF is not a measure of regulatory protection, but an inventory. It corresponds to the census of outstanding natural land areas in the twenty-two metropolitan areas as well as the overseas departments of France. The designation of a ZNIEFF based primarily on the presence of species or groups of species with strong heritage interest. The presence of at least one population of critical species (
:fr:espèce déterminante in French) defines a ZNIEFF.
This is one of the bases for prioritizing natural heritage issues as part of the
National Biodiversity Strategy, or
Regional Biodiversity Strategies,
National Strategy for creation of protected areas (SCAP), etc. It is used for
environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental impact, environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the te ...
. The Belgian equivalent of the ZNIEFF is the
Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB).
History
* The program was launched in 1982 by the Direction de la protection de la nature (Department of Conservation) (now Direction de la nature et des paysages (Department of Nature and Countryside) of the
Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian mi ...
, with the support of the
French National Museum of Natural History; The goal of this undertaking was to produce an inventory for the entire country, areas of greater ''ecological interest'' "primarily from the perspective of the Department provide a tool for decision support" (translated).
* The scientific validation of the nature inventories in each region by the Regional Scientific Council of the natural heritage (CSRPN) and nationally by the National Museum of Natural History constitute the heart of the national Inventory of natural Heritage;
* In 1984, the Overseas Department was added to the inventory;
* 1987: 1st publication of an informative brochure and outreach entitled "''Notre Patrimoine Naturel''" (Our Natural Heritage), on the inventory, with a map scaled at 1:250000 of ZNIEFFs of each region (in 1995, 20 of the 22 metropolitan regions have published such a document, but other atlases and ZNIEFF maps, thematic maps, municipal and platelets extension forms will be published in the regions;
* In March 1990 the National Museum of Natural History is a point on the inventory at a symposium entitled "''ZNIEFF, an opportunity to negotiate, towards a network of managed natural areas''";
* In 1991, ZNIEFF was adapted for marine environments, with the first phase ending between 1988 and 1995.
* In May 1991, a circular to regional prefect, explained the notion of ZNIEFF indicating the partners involved and specifying the legal scope of the inventory as well as how to access the data. Circular consolidates the former ZNIEFF committees, creating Regional Scientific Councils on Natural Heritage (CSRPN) and creating the positions assistant prefects, under the aegis of
:fr:Direction régionale de l'Environnement (Regional Directors of the Environment) to control and validate the inventory of each region.
* In 1993, the
Countryside Act "the State may decide to develop local and regional inventories of fauna and flora heritage. The local authorities are aware of this development. These inventories are studied under the scientific responsibility of the National Museum of Natural History." (translated)
* In 1993, The ZNIEFFs allow production of the preliminary inventory to the implementation of the European Directive No. 92-43 on the conservation of natural and semi-natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora so-called "Habitats Directive-Fauna-Flora".
* In late 1994, a phase of "modernization of ZNIEFF" was officially launched by the Directorate of nature and countryside. There is talk of a "second generation" inventory;
* 1995: Launch of a ZNIEFF updated with a modernized and refined method (following a seminar of the National Working Committee ZNIEFF and national and regional partners in the inventory, which was held in Paris on 15 November 1994);
* In 1997
French Institute for the Environment and
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...
jointly produced at the request of the Ministry of Environment, the first ''methodological guide'' clarifying definitions and coordinating and harmonizing regional approaches, which still varied widely. The development of more efficient and less expensive computer tools enabled data processing to facilitate the harmonization of regional inventories primarily driven by Volunteers, under the direction of DRAE (Regional Directorates of architecture and Environment (now since
Regional Directorate for the Environment and
Regional Directorate of Environment, Planning and Housing);
* The law of 27 February 2002 on grassroots democracy created the
National inventory of natural heritage entrusted to the Museum. Article L. 411-5 III of the Code of environment places the responsibility for the scientific coordination of inventory natural heritage programs in MNHN and strengthens CSRPN (
Regional Scientific Councils Natural Heritage), allowing in particular, under certain conditions, access to the
private property
Private property is a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental Capacity (law), legal entities. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which is owned by a state entity, and from Collective ownership ...
to complete the inventory, even though Europe also imposed more accurate inventories in part of the 'Habitats' Directive or the Water Directive (
wetlands
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
, GES ...);
* In 2004, under the leadership of the Museum, the concept of "
critical species" was becoming increasingly important, to play a major role in the new characterization ZNIEFF (made by crossing on a scientific basis and biogeographic criteria of rarity,
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
of
protected status of
native species
In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equi ...
and
endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
). The method of delimitation of boundaries is refined to be ''clear and indisputable''.
Contents
There are two types of zones:
* The ZNIEFF type I zones, of a small area, are consistent from an ecological point of view and areas that have at least one species and/or rare or threatened habitat, interest both local and regional, national or communal; or these are areas of great ''functional interest'' to the local ecological functioning.
* The ZNIEFF type II zones have great rich natural interest, or slightly modified, which offer important biological potential. They may include areas of type I and have a functional as well as ecological and countryside consistency role.
An inventory ''ZNIEFF second generation'' was launched in 1996, consisting of an update with harmonization of the methods of carrying out the inventory, better integrating some criteria ''feature'' of
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
.
Up to 9 April 2013, ZNIEFFs were upgraded and validated for the following territories:
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
,
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
(Upper and Lower),
Champagne-Ardenne,
Picardie,
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...
,
Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes (; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ) was an administrative region on the southwest coast of France. It comprised four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. It included the historical provinces of Angoumo ...
,
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...
,
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône a ...
,
Center,
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
,
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon (; ; ) is a former regions of France, administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. It comprised five departments o ...
,
Ile-de-France (excluding Seine-et-Marne),
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; or ) is a cultural region in central France.
As of 2016 Auvergne is no longer an administrative division of France. It is generally regarded as conterminous with the land area of the historical Province of Auvergne, which was dis ...
,
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Nord-Pas-de-Calais (; ; West Flemish: ''Nôord-Nauw van Kales'') was a former regions of France, administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new Regions of France, region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the ...
,
Lot-et-Garonne
Lot-et-Garonne (, ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the rivers Lot and Garonne, it had a population of 331,271 in 2019.[Guyana
Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...]
and
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
Uses
This inventory is, in addition to an instrument of knowledge, one of the major elements of French
conservation policy and taking into account the environment and
spatial planning
Spatial planning mediates between the respective claims on space of the state, market, and community. In so doing, three different mechanisms of involving stakeholders, integrating sectoral policies and promoting development projects mark the th ...
(
green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...
,
ecological network (including
European green infrastructure), protective measures,
environmental mitigation, etc.) and in some projects creating protected areas (including
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 ...
s) or in the development of ''departmental career paths'' for the operation of conglomerates.
French jurisprudence confirms that it is not creating an inventory for measuring regulatory protection and does not prohibit planning. However, it must be included in all the accompanying planning documents
References
See also
Search Engines ZNIEFF (INPN)
Rechercher une ZNIEFF terrestre(French)
Rechercher une ZNIEFF marine(French)
Related Articles
*
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitats and prevent species extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range. It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in ter ...
*
Endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
*
:fr:Espèce déterminante (French)
*
:fr:Espèce remarquable (French)
*
Habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
*
Ecosystem approach
*
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
*
Site of Community Importance
A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...
*
Grande Sure
The ''Grande Sure'' (; ) is a mountain in the French department of Isère, rising to an altitude of 1,920 meters in the Chartreuse Mountains, Chartreuse mountain chain, in the Alps, overlooking the . Located on the western border of the mountain ...
*
:fr:Direction régionale de l'environnement, de l'aménagement et du logement (French)
*
:fr:Plan de restauration (French)
Bibliography
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Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zone naturelle d'interet ecologique, faunistique et floristique
Natural history of France
Environmental data
Environmental history of France