The nature reserves of the Walloon Region in the forestry of St.-Vith.
The high (mountain)ridge that cuts through the Sankt-Vith forestry from SW to ENE with the Meisenberg (583 m), Oberst-Crombach (550 m ), Rodterbuchen (565 m), Tommberg (578 m) and Hünningerheide (533 m), is the watershed between the Meuse basin in the north and the Rhine basin in the south.
The INTERREG-Project AMICE concerns the Amel sub-basin which is only a part of our forestry.
In the Amel basin the Walloon Region bought and manages three nature reserves.
1. The Emmels valley
This nature reserve, on the territory of the community of Amel has a surface area of 38 ha. Altitude varies between 460 and 485 m; it belongs to the geological age of the Eodevonien. The valley is open with very gentle slopes; no less than 13 different soil types can be identified here; they are mostly wet (Ghx) and very wet (Gix) stony loamy soils as well as peaty soils.
From the end of the 19th century till the beginning of the 1950ies the grasslands were irrigated and sometimes also mown, until in 1999 they became part of the nature reserve. Thanks to this traditional and extensive managment very species rich communities developed.
Through management contracts farmers mow about 14 ha between July 15th and August 31th; another 7 ha ar under an extensive grazing management. This should lead to an impoverishment in nutrients of the parcels involved.
In this nature reserve lots of different plant communities occur in a mosaic of fens, swamps, reedland, tall herb vegetations, wet and swampy meadows and mesophile grasslands. Every season another colour carpet can be admired.
2. The Holzbachvalley
The source of the Holzbach is situated at an altitude of 530 m; the confluence with the Rechterbach is 4 km further down.
This nature reserve has a surface area of 8 ha and consists of fen marshes; it is situated on the territory of St.-Vith. Until the end of the 1920ies villagers used to extract peat for heating their houses.
Characteristic plant communities here are bogs and fens with bog asphodel and a number of Sphagnum mosses as well as bog woodland and alluvial alder woodlands.
Management is aimed at conserving the remaining Juniper specimens; also young spruces are removed
3. The Rechtervenn
This big marshy area is fed by the water from the Rechterbach and a number of small tributaries. It is situated on the territory of St.-Vith and the nature reserve now has a surface area of 35 ha. Each of the rivulets created ist own very flat valley which means that the water is not easily evacuated. This lead to the development of marshy areas with very illustrative names such as Salmervenn, Meilvenn, Otzvenn, Pickertzvenn, Meilvenn, etc.
In the Rechterbach valley a number of fragments from the original broad leaved forests with rare plant species can be seen.
Also interesting from a botanical point of view is the former railway from Vielsalm to Born which harbour an important number of very rare species.
In about 5 ha the management consist of late mowing while another 1 ha is under extensive grazing.
By now the Walloon Region has protected some 80 ha of wetlands in the Meuse river basin. The three existing reserves are extended whenever the possibility of buying new land occurs. The next step will be the writing of a management plan for the three reserves in order to secure their nature values and species richness.
Thank you for your attention.
G. PROBST
22/09/2010