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Recognized "International Biological Inheritance and of Interest Major", the Poitevin Marsh second wetland of France after the Camargue, first wetland of the littoral Marshes of the West of France and fifth wetland of Europe from its surface. It is to say its importance on the scale of Atlantic Europe. The Poitevin Marsh constitutes a whole of a great ecological richness, at the same time by the diversity of the mediums which make it up and especially by its specificity of "wetland". In France the wetlands are relatively rare compared to the other mediums (less than 5% of the own territory) and is of patrimonial, landscape and ecological interest. The Poitevin Marsh is located at the crossroads of several climatic zones and the interface of the grounds and the Atlantic Ocean.
Its territory extends on 70 km from West in Is (of Niort to Bay of the Pivot), and on 30 km of North in the South (of the calcareous plain of the Vendée to the slopes of Aunis). Located at the borders of three departments (the Vendée, Two - Sevres, Maritime Charente) and two administrative areas (Poitou - Charente, Country of the Loire). The Poitevin Marsh extends on more than 100 000 hectares. Surrounded by four agglomerations: Luçon, Niort, Fontenay - the Tale and La Rochelle, with a hundred inhabitants to the square kilometres (100000 inhabitants live there without counting Niort). The rural territory of the Poitevin Marsh is marked by this proximity and the phenomena of perished more - urbanization around the towns of Niort and La Rochelle. This vast territory corresponds to an old marine gulf where emerged two rivers: the Lay and Sèvre Niort, the latter feeds 70 % of the Poitevin Marsh with these principal affluents: the Vendée, Autize and the Nice one, gradually to clog by alluvia and strewn with hillocks limestones, vestiges of old islands. This gulf was called the "Gulf of Poitou or the Gulf of Poitou".
The Poitevin Marsh is essential in term of agricultural economic stakes but also raises of national European directive and protection measures. It is the subject also of all the attention of the local communities which have been mobilized and
responsabilized in its connection for a few decades.
With tourism which develops more and more, the Poitevin Marsh is better and better known, the local economy takes again breath. You will find there lodgings, rooms of hosts, campsites, landing stages close making you discover Venice Verte, of the riding schools, the structures arranged by the Interregional Park of the Poitevin Marsh as the Houses of the Park which are kinds of écomusée. There remain however some stockbreeders of bovines and other domestic animals, which still exploits the marsh like formerly, which makes it possible to maintain the pieces the Marsh.
At all events, it remains in Poitevin Marsh a single space in the beauty of the natural elements which make it up. In the future, man modern will have to preserve richnesses natural and identity cultural of Marsh Poitevin, if he does not want to see standardizing or disappearing forever this soil which still carries, almost indelible, the print of his ancestors.
For some years, actions of handing-over in value have been undertaken by the Interregional Park of the Poitevin Marsh, as well as the areas Poitou - Charente, and Country of the Loire, the French State, and Europe...
Sources : www.maraispoitevin.org et www.maraispoitevininfo.com
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