Woven around the Reserve's temporary ponds , which are protected sites, there are 6 other types of natural habitat that are identifiable :

- The matorral (maquis or garrigue)

This constitutes the landscape of the Mediterranean, beloved by artists and writers such as Pagnol. It develops either on neutral soils (when it is called "garrigue") or on slightly acid soil (called the "maquis"). It is a landscape characterised by limestone outcrops that pierce the shallow soil, along with dry and prickly bushes (kermes or holly oak).

Vegetation
Origin
Etymology

Vegetation :

This is perfectly adapted to the hot dry summers of the region (tough or shiny leaves, deep root systems, etc.). Over all hangs the perfume of thyme, rosemary or wild lavender, exploited for centuries by our ancestors for their beneficial properties. The matorral colonises open spaces. It is dominated by shrubs like cistus, so colourful in the spring, and some herbaceous plants such as the yellow or mauve dwarf irises that flourish along paths marked out by wild boar.
A large number of protected species live in the matorral.

Origin :

From the tiny thyme bush to the copse of holm-oak, the matorral is the result of successive years of slashing, for sheep-grazing purposes, coupled with a very arid climate. It bears the clear mark of human activity..

Etymology :

The word " matorral " comes from the Spanish. It is the common scientific term for what is called "garrigue" or "maquis" in the south of France.