Soye Wood

The Bois de Soye is a forest massif of about a hundred hectares stretching along the left bank of the Sambre at the western end of the municipal territory of Floreffe, between the villages of Mornimont and Soye. It mainly occupies a silty plateau rising to an altitude of 120 meters, as well as the western slope of this plateau which overlooks the plain of the Vieille Sambre. Unlike many other wooded areas in the region, the Bois de Soye has been little altered, as evidenced by the rarity of resinous parcels, and it is not crossed by any communication routes, except for the Namur-Charleroi railway line which passes through it in the south. Furthermore, this mixed neutral oak forest corresponds to an ancient forest, already present in the 17th century and still containing many aged trees today. This context is particularly favorable to the maintenance of interesting and diverse biodiversity, including cavernicolous birds such as the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) and the middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius), as well as forest butterflies like the lesser purple emperor (Apatura ilia) or the lesser purple hairstreak (Limenitis camilla). Despite its multiple interests, the site is devoid of any protection status and has not been incorporated into the Natura 2000 network.

Type: Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB)

La biodiversité en Wallonie