Steinley

The Steinley is a vast gently sloping heathland. Its altitude ranges from 550 to 600 m. The surface is troubled by the presence of various traces of lithalses and earth mounds of periglacial origin. It features various streams that are the sources of the Vesdre and Steinbach. The stony mounds are occupied by associations of dry heath based on Calluna vulgaris and Vaccinium div. sp. (4030). The mardelles included in the traces of lithalses are covered with transition peat bogs (7140), showing all stages of evolution towards the raised bog with sphagnum (7110). Between the earth mounds and the traces of lithalses, extensive areas of more or less degraded peat heaths dominated by Molinia caerulea heavily recolonized by trees can be found, evolving in many places towards pedunculate oak forests with birches (9190), birch wood on peat (91D0), or swampy alder forests with sphagnum. The Steinley also hosts various areas of floodplains, in the spring areas and along the multiple streams that traverse it.

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Type: Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB)

La biodiversité en Wallonie