Luzéronde

Owned by the State since the late 19th century and currently managed by the National Forestry Office (ONF), the Luzéronde site is located in the northwest of the island of Noirmoutier and is part of the European Natura 2000 network of sites.

This site is a textbook example of a coastal dune in contact with a rock revetment. It consists of a dune ridge that protects extensive agricultural and aquaculture areas, as well as several urbanized zones located to the east (mostly private land), from flooding. This natural barrier currently varies in width from 80 meters in the northern part of the site to 20 meters in the south—the area adjacent to the Devin dike. In the event of a breach during major weather events, the island of Noirmoutier would be severely impacted.

The ONF, as owner and manager of the dune area, and the Community of Communes of the Island of Noirmoutier (CCIN), within the framework of GEMAPI, have been working together for several years to reduce risk on the southern part of the dune ridge.

The Life Adapto+ project aims to strengthen this previously initiated approach by improving the dune’s resilience through actions that enhance sediment exchanges at the dune foot and support managed retreat of the dune ridge (accompanied translation). This project relies on the expertise of partner organizations (Cdl, BRGM, CEREMA, Observatory of the Island of Noirmoutier, ONF) as well as the shared commitment of local stakeholders (CCIN, municipalities, etc.) to promote nature-based solutions to address the effects of climate change.

The findings could lead to the creation of new management tools with national and European relevance for similar configurations.

Fauna and flora

It is possible to observe Ammophila arenaria, Cakile maritima, Euphorbia paralias, Calystegia soldanella, the coastal Omphalodes, Eryngium maritimum, as well as the Western spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes), a reptile species endangered in mainland France.