Vallées de l’Argentine et de la Lasne (Sonian Forest Walloon part)

The site is composed of two distinct geographical units. The northern part includes, on the one hand, extensive forest massifs—most notably the Walloon section of the Sonian Forest and the wooded areas of the Solvay Park—and, on the other hand, the valley floor of the Argentine stream and its associated wetlands. The southern part corresponds to the valley of the Lasne and encompasses ecologically valuable open habitats such as the heathland of Rixensart, the Carpu nature reserve, and the wetland zone of the Ru Milhoux.

Large areas of Atlantic acidophilous beech and oak forests are present, especially within the Sonian Forest and its surrounding woodland domains. These forests provide habitat for species such as the middle spotted woodpecker and the black woodpecker. Depending on soil richness and moisture, other forest types also occur, including alluvial and swamp forests. The wet valley bottoms support a wide range of habitats such as ponds, tall-herb communities, and reedbeds, which in turn host a variety of species like the Eurasian teal, kingfisher, great bittern, and Desmoulin’s whorl snail. Moreover, the valley of the Lasne contains highly valuable habitats such as dry heathland, Nardus grasslands, and purple moor grass meadows. The last two are extremely rare in the Atlantic biogeographical region, which highlights the exceptional ecological value of the valleys of the Argentine and Lasne.

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Photo: Jean-Pol Grandmont