The habitat of the Crau Plain Grasshopper under the microscope

The objectives of the training course, supervised by the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Catherine Godefroid, Axel Wolff and Lisbeth Zechner) and the IMBE (Thierry Dutoit), are to characterise the vegetation in the Crau according to the season and different gradients of grazing on sites where the Crau Plain Grasshopper is still present, where it has disappeared and where reintroduction is envisaged.

The data collected will be cross-referenced with data from agro-pastoral surveys, an inventory of insectivorous birds in colonies – which could be significant predators – and monitoring of Crau Plain Grasshopper populations. All of this will help us to better understand the reasons that have contributed to its decline and to choose the right sites for the first reintroduction tests. Optimal vegetation and habitat management will be important for the successful reintroduction and the preservation of the species.

The data collected by Martin will also be used in a study of the evolution of the Crau Plain Grasshopper’s habitat since the 1980s via satellite images.

Welcome to Martin, to whom we wish an interesting and enriching internship!