Mount Seguret
Mount Seguret
forest
Environment
eco
Nature 2000 Ecological Network Sites
nature_people
Parks
explore
Territory
Oasi xerotermica Oulx-Auberge, 10056 Oulx
The xerothermal oasis of Oulx - Auberge occupies part of the orographic left slope of the Dora di Bardonecchia and is located approximately between the valley floor and an altitude of 2,200 meters, in the municipalities of Oulx and Salbertrand.
It includes characteristic hamlets such as Signols and Savoulx, but the presence of human activity is constant, from the paths leading to the houses of Les Auberges, to the exploitation of minerals like the gypsum quarry, to the military road connecting the Pramand fortification to the Jafferau.
Mount Seguret, in the background, appears as a slope of rock with pink hues due to the presence of dolomite. The limestone substrate, combined with water erosion, has formed a unique landscape, consisting of natural cavities, deep gorges, visible and well-known caves, such as the "Saracens' cave" or the "Beaume" cave, now a destination for pilgrims. The summit of Pramand, on the other hand, is a dark spot, given by the intense green of the hook pine and dwarf pine forests, interspersed with the white of the limestone rocks.
At a European level, this site has been protected for four priority habitats: hook pine forests, xerophilous limestone scree, dwarf pine thickets, and dry grasslands with Bromus erectus. At lower altitudes, with a southern exposure, there are Scots pine forests developed around terraces that were once cultivated, now pastures with shrubs. Despite the presence of numerous streams, the flora is typically steppe-like with rare species for Italy, such as Salvia aethiopis and Androsace maxima. The meadow pastures around the houses of Les Auberges are characterized by the bloom of numerous orchids and the presence of rare butterflies such as Anthocharis euphenoides, or those protected at the community level: Parnassius apollo, Maculinea arion, Euplagia quadripunctaria.
Among the insects, a particular beetle lives here, the Poecilus kughelanni, the only reported presence in all of Italy. The sunny pastures are sought after by wild ungulates, deer and chamois, especially in the winter period, consequently their natural predator, the Wolf, also frequents this site. At the avifaunal level, there are over 20 nesting species, many of which are passerines, but the sky over Pramand is known for birds of prey: in spring, it is the characteristic festoon flights of Eagles that catch the attention, while in summer one can witness the circling of the Bearded Vulture or the swift flight of the Peregrine Falcon.
