La fôret d’Éboulis de Battion

This forest, protected by the Conservatoire des Sites Lorrains, borders the Battion waterfall and has developed on coarse granite scree slopes dating from the last glaciations. The cathedral aspect of these places, the freshness and the low vegetation made up of ferns and lunars, give them a fairy-tale atmosphere. A Lunar Forest: this cold ravine scree, exposed to the north and in the shade, is conducive to the establishment of a forest of European interest of sycamore maples where the perennial Lunar (whose ornamental variety is better known as the "Pope's Mint") grows. The forest of Battion is the largest lunar forest in the Vosges massif. A specific vegetation: the scree, created by the alternating freezing and thawing of the end of the ice ages, was initially colonised by mosses, lichens and other pioneer plants. Shrub vegetation such as hazelnut and elderberry preceded sycamore maple, basswood, ash and mountain elm. The soil is covered with rare plants adapted to cool conditions, such as perennial mercury, wood spurge, and intermediate circus. At this stage, the erablaie is stable but remains subject to natural disturbances (windfalls, avalanches...) which do not affect the habitat. On the contrary, the dead trees are of great benefit to insects and birds. Conservatoire des Sites Lorrains

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