France

Europa

Capital: ParisMay to September

801

Documented species

Parks and reserves

Dive sites

Explore on the map

Interactive map

France brings together four biogeographical domains within its mainland territory — Atlantic, continental, alpine and Mediterranean — which no other European country matches. The Alps and the Pyrenees support high-mountain fauna with chamois, marmots, ibex and bearded vultures; the Massif Central and the Vosges keep forests and peat bogs with reintroduced Eurasian lynx; the Camargue, in the Rhône delta, is a mosaic of salt lagoons famous for its flamingo colony, its white horses and its semi-wild bulls. But the greatest French natural wealth lies outside Europe: the overseas territories, spread across three oceans, make France one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet. French Guiana contributes intact Amazon rainforest, New Caledonia a fauna isolated for 80 million years, and the southern territories massive colonies of penguins and albatrosses.

The nature of France

National animal: The Gallic rooster, a national symbol since antiquity

Did you know?

The kagu of New Caledonia is a grey bird the size of a hen, all but flightless, which barks at dawn like a dog to mark its territory: a duet audible more than a kilometre away. It has no close living relatives and is the sole survivor of an evolutionary branch of its own. Thanks to the control of feral dogs and rats, its population has been recovering from critical lows.

Biodiversity profile

Europa OccidentalAprox. 12,5% del territorio metropolitano bajo la red Natura 2000, con planes de aumentar 2 puntos adicionales de proteccion estricta en la proxima decada

Climate

•Oceanico templado (Cfb) en el norte y oeste
•Continental en el este
•Mediterraneo (Csa) en el sur
•Clima de alta montaña en Alpes y Pirineos

Main biomes

•Bosque caducifolio templado (norte y centro)
•Matorral mediterraneo (sur)
•Bosque de coniferas de alta montaña (Alpes, Pirineos, Macizo Central)
•Humedales costeros atlanticos y mediterraneos
•Alta montaña alpina
•Bosque templado caducifolio
•Humedal deltaico
•Selva tropical húmeda
•Arrecife de coral
•Tundra subantártica

Marine and coastal ecosystems

•Costas atlantica, mediterranea y del Canal de la Mancha, con humedales costeros de importancia para aves migratorias

Flagship wildlife

•Lince europeo (en recuperacion, zonas de montaña)
•Lobo europeo (en expansion natural)
•Aguila real
•Cabra montes o iberico-pirenaico (Pirineos)
•Flamenco común
•Caballo de la Camarga
•Marmota alpina
•Íbice alpino
•Lince boreal
•Quebrantahuesos
•Oso pardo
•Lobo gris
•Delfín mular
•Cigüeña blanca

Notable endemic species

•Mas de 100.000 especies de flora y fauna registradas en la Francia metropolitana y Corcega, con niveles de endemismo notablemente mas altos en sus territorios de ultramar (ej. Guayana Francesa, con selva amazonica del tamaño de Portugal)
•Kagú
•Loro cornudo
•Desmán de los Pirineos
•Salamandra de Lanza
•Gecko gigante de Nueva Caledonia

Notable threatened species

•Solo 43% de las especies amenazadas identificadas cientificamente en Francia y sus territorios cuentan con proteccion legal efectiva
•Aves y mamiferos bien protegidos (95%), pero los insectos muy poco (solo 6%) pese a su rol ecologico esencial
•En la Francia metropolitana, solo 34% de las 1.445 especies amenazadas identificadas estan protegidas por ley, una de las tasas mas bajas entre los territorios franceses

Notable protected areas

•Parque Nacional de Vanoise (Alpes)
•Parque Nacional de los Pirineos
•Parque Nacional de las Cevenas
•Parque Nacional de la Vanoise
•Parque Nacional de los Écrins
•Parque Natural Regional de la Camarga
•Parque Nacional de las Cévennes
•Parque Amazónico de Guayana

Main conservation threats

•Brecha significativa entre especies amenazadas identificadas cientificamente y las protegidas legalmente, especialmente en insectos
•Fragmentacion de habitat por infraestructura y agricultura intensiva
•Cambio climatico sobre ecosistemas alpinos y mediterraneos

Notable natural phenomena

•El regreso natural del lobo y el lince a zonas de montaña francesas en las ultimas decadas refleja una recuperacion ecologica notable en Europa Occidental

Conservation

The natural return of the wolf from Italy in 1992 has created a persistent conflict with extensive livestock farming. The overseas territories hold most of the country's threatened species, under pressure from invasive species and mining.

Where and when to watch wildlife

The Camargue year-round, with flamingo numbers peaking between April and September. The Alps in summer for marmots and ibex at altitude. The Mercantour at dawn for wolves and mouflon.

Sources: AXA Climate - Threatened species protection France | BioDB.com - France | biodiversity.europa.eu - Coverage representativity

Temperate forest Mountain Freshwater