La Calestienne entre Barvaux et Bomal
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This site includes forested slopes and grasslands on calcareous or schistose substrates along the right bank of the Ourthe River between Barvaux and Bomal (notably the Domaine de Hotemme and Mont des Pins), as well as the alluvial plain of the Ourthe upstream of Bomal.
The wooded slopes and ridges are mainly composed of meta-climax beech forests on neutral and calcareous soils. These are locally accompanied by ravine forests—priority habitats—on the most unstable soils. The valley bottoms of small streams and the alluvial terraces of the Ourthe support humid oak-ash forests and alluvial woodlands. These forest habitats provide full or partial habitat for species such as the middle spotted woodpecker, black woodpecker, European honey buzzard, and various bat species of European interest.
The site is also notable for its open habitats, which include extensive areas of low-intensity hay meadows and species-rich calcareous grasslands. Lastly, the aquatic environment—particularly the Ourthe River itself, which is a habitat of European interest—contributes to the habitat of species like the kingfisher, thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus), and bullhead (Cottus gobio).