Heathlands

Numerous shrubs develop and are protected in the winter by a blanket of snow on the heathland located between the forest and the alpine grassland. Branches are flexible enough to bend under the weight of the snow. Most of these shrubs belong to the heather, or ericaceous family, which also includes blueberries, bilberries, etc.

The Rhododendron (or Alpenrose), which sometimes covers vast areas, is adorned with dark pink flowers from June. In fact the buds are ready to open in the previous autumn. Only the Rhododendron ferrugineum grows in the Vanoise and the Savoie regions, and owes its name to the little rust-coloured scales that cover the underside of its leaves.


Rhododendron or Alpenrose
Rhododendron ferrugineum
© PNV / Jacques Perrier
 
     
The Green Alder needs a significant amount of water and is thus confined to the banks of streams and rivers and to avalanche corridors, especially on north-facing slopes. It is a very invasive coloniser. The roots of the "arcosse" (as it is called in the Savoie region) combine with the bacteria in the ground to fix atmospheric nitrogen, thus enriching the soil. Under the weight of the snow, its many branches touch the ground and form a thicket that is difficult to cross through and which serves as a haven for a number of animals. Alder thickets that are amongst the largest and most representative in Europe can be found at Champagny-en-Vanoise.  
Green alder
   
    Alnus viridis
© PNV / Jacques Perrier