Lolair Nature Reserve

A glacier lake in a basin, a mosaic of plant species

Lake Lolair is situated in an extended basin, along the left slope of Valgrisenche, at an altitude of 1,175 m. It is joined by 3 springs and surrounded by an extensive reed-thicket and 'sheepskin' rocks (rounded smoothed down humps of glacial origin). Its shape is the result of erosion which created a depression which over time filled up with silt and peat deposits; the lithological substrate consists of micaschists and minute gneiss from the Gran S.Bernardo stratum. The area is distinguished by a large variety of species and environments, despite being in a context of limited

dimensions. The lake is entirely surrounded by a concentric vegetation zone, linked to the water regime; the reed-thicket area is home to the main habitat 'Calcareous swamp of Cladium mariscus and Carex davalliana'. The surrounding basin features patches of vegetation laid out like a mosaic, with strips of red spruce or Scotch pine forest, broad-leaved woods alternated with shrubs and xerofile herbaceous species, in addition to various abandoned crops. There is a highly apparent contrast between the humid area of the lake and the essentially xerothermic environment

of the basin surrounding it, which features an area of Potentilla pensylvanica, one of the rarest plants in the Valle d'Aosta. The nature reserve (municipality of Arvier), set up in 1993 and run by the Protected areas service of the Agriculture and natural resources Councillorship, can be reached by following the regional road to Valgrisenche (a village of Baise Pierre).

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