The Jolan and Gazelle peat bogs: a rare and sensitive nature reserve to discover

Thanks to a themed trail, you'll have the chance to discover a major nature reserve in its unspoilt setting. The Jolan and Gazelle peat bogs are both a natural and historical heritage site.

What is a peat bog?

First and foremost, a peat bog is a wetland created under specific conditions, i.e. low mineral content, stagnant and abundant water in a cold climate. This wetland (like other wetlands in the Cantal, such as the «saignes» and «narses») is home to a specific and rare flora and fauna.

The name «peat bog» comes from the local inhabitants. For them, these areas were peat quarries (peat is an organic soil produced by the degradation of plants in a water-saturated environment), which was used as a fuel. The peat was extracted with forks from holes dug in the spring. It was then cut into brick shapes, exposed to the sun and dried during the summer. In the autumn, the inhabitants would collect the bricks and store them for the winter. The bricks were used for heating and cooking. This type of exploitation is no longer practised and is no longer authorised.

Why preserve this characteristic Auvergne environment?

These are necessary wetlands with exceptional and sensitive flora and fauna. They are currently being weakened and impacted by human activity and climate change. They play an important role in the ecosystem because they «trap» and store carbon, purify water and provide a habitat for unique biodiversity such as amphibians, insects (butterflies, dragonflies, etc.), reptiles, mammals (such as ermines and otters), birds (kites, etc.), "northern" plants and carnivorous plants, etc.

The Jolan and Gazelle nature reserves

This Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional nature reserve is located in the Cantal département in the commune of Ségur-les-Villas, a village on the edge of the Cézallier plateau, at an altitude of 1,130 metres. Created in 2018, it is the largest nature reserve in the Cantal, with a surface area of 115,183 ha.

The studies carried out in 2019 have made it possible to refine the dating of the formation of these peat bogs, placing it after the last ice age (this period began 115,000 years ago and ended 11,700 years ago). These analyses have also revealed that the centre of the reserve was originally occupied by a lake.

Peat was mined and extracted from the Jolan and Gazelle peat bogs until the 1970s. Then, in 1973, the area was flooded to create an artificial water body as part of a project for the department's hunting industry, to be a stopover site for waterfowl.

To date, there are 900 species on the site.

The peat bogs are surrounded by farmland (pasture and forage fields) and pine woods, not to mention the local inhabitants. It is they who have shaped this landscape by building low walls and growing cereals (...) and who are now helping to conserve this natural site and its environment.

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DISCOVER THE ECOBALADE

How can you discover the Jolan and Gazelle peat bogs?

Independently via signposted discovery trail 5.5 km, respecting regulated uses (possibility of departure from our huts).
Accompanied nature outings, supervised and commented on by a guide. For more information and reservations, contact the tourist office. Hautes Terres Tourism on 04 71 20 09 47.

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