A Territory

The territory of the Fontainebleau and Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve is historically centered around the Fontainebleau forest and the French Gâtinais Regional Natural Park. It is revised during each renewal (the last two took place in 2010 and 2023).

For the UNESCO MAB program, a biosphere reserve is composed of three areas, in principle included in each other:

a core area; comprises a strictly protected zone that contributes to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species, and genetic variation
a buffer zone; It surrounds or adjoins the core area(s), and is used for activities compatible with sound ecological practices that can reinforce scientific research, monitoring, training, and education
a transition area; where communities foster socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable economic and human activities.

Zonation

Reviewed in 2022, The Fontainebleau-Gâtinais Biosphere ‘s perimeter takes into consideration all the already established structures prospering in our territories.

This diversity of arrangements is an asset as it allows effective protection measures to be adapted to local contexts and different conservation objectives.

The many existing structures on our ground help us regulate the rapid urbanization of the territory (due to the proximity to Paris) or any unsustainable projects.

The different structures working towards sustainable biodiversity revealed four main zone each with their own challenges:

• The Forest of Fontainebleau
• The Valley of Loing and Orvanne
• The Valley of Essonne
• The Calcareous grassland of Gâtinais

Municipalities

Seine-et-Marne (77)

Achères-la-forêt – Amponville – Arbonne-la-Forêt – Avon – Bagneaux-sur-Loing – Barbizon – Bois-le-Roi – Boissise-le-Roi – Boissy-aux-cailles – Boulancourt – Bourron-Marlotte – Burcy – Buthiers – Cély-en-Bière – Chailly-en-Bière – Champagne-sur-Seine – La Chapelle-la-Reine – Chartrettes – Château-Landon – Châtenoy – Chevrainvilliers – Dammarie-les-Lys – Darvault – Dormelles – Faÿ-Lès-Nemours – Flagy, Fleury-en-Bière – Fontainebleau – Fontaine-le-Port – Fromont – Garentreville – La Genevraye – Grez-sur-Loing – Guercheville – Héricy – Larchant – Livry-sur-Seine – Madeleine-sur-Loing – Montcourt-Fromonville – Montigny-sur-Loing – Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne – Nanteau-sur-Essonne – Nanteau-sur-Lunain – Nemours – Noisy-sur-Ecole – Nonville – Ormesson – Paley – Perthes-en-Gâtinais – Poligny – Pringy – Recloses – Remauville – La Rochette – Rumont – Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry – Saint-Germain-sur-Ecole – Saint Mammès – Saint-Martin-en-Bière – Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, Saint-Sauveur-sur-Ecole – Samois-sur-Seine – Samoreau – Souppes-sur-Loing – Thomery – Tousson – Treuzy-Levelay – Ury – Le Vaudoué – Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine – Villecerf – Villemaréchal – Villemer – Ville-Saint-Jacques – Villiers-en-Bière – Villiers-sous-Grez – Vulaines-sur-Seine

Essonne (91)

Auvernaux – Auvers-Saint-Georges – Ballancourt-sur-Essonne – Baulne – Blandy – Boigneville – Bois-Herpin – Boissy-le-Cutté – Bouray-sur-Juine – Boutigny-sur-Essonne – Bouville – Brouy – Buno-Bonnevaux – Cerny – Chamarande – Champcueil – Champmotteux – Chevannes – Coudray-Montceaux – Courances – Courdimanche sur Essonne – Dannemois – Echarcon – La Ferté Alais – Fontenay-le-Vicomte – La Forêt-Sainte-Croix – Gironville sur Essonne – Guigneville sur Essonne – D’Huison-Longueville – Itteville – Janville-sur-Juine – Leudeville – Maisse – Mennecy – Mespuits – Milly-la-forêt – Moigny-sur-Ecole – Mondeville – Nainville-les-Roches – Oncy-sur-Ecole – Ormoy – Orveau – Prunay-sur-Essonne – Puiselet-le-Marais – Roinvilliers – Saint-Vrain – Soisy sur Ecole – Valpuiseaux – Vayres-sur-Essonne – Vert-le-grand – Vert-le-petit – Videlles – Villeneuve sur Auvers

A protection strategy

The borders of our territory were defined with an objective to resist against the soil artificialisation due to the rapid urbanisation of Ile de France.

Certain key zones housing rare or interesting elements of biodiversity are directly being threatened by this urbanisation.

The territory’s biological characteristics in a nutshell

Fontainebleau-Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve has many different landscapes, all interconnected. These landscapes create a rich ecosystem and make the survival of extremely diverse fauna and flora possible.

Forest environment

With more than 45 000 acres, the forest environment represents nearly 50% of our territory. The vast majority is made of Fontainebleau’s Forest. As part of Natura 2000, more than 18 ecosystemic interests are included. The eldest woods located on high grounds are home to rich fauna and flora.

Sandy environment

The rocky and sandy environments are dry and mostly located within the forest. Some habitats constricted to these environments make them worth being Natura 2000, the growth of grass is the first stage of spontaneous forest dynamic. Fontainebleau’s sand is a well-known geological resource because it is pure silica. In some parts, quarries are still in function.

Marshes

Firstly, shaped by aggregate (sand, grit, and gravel) extraction, then by artificial ponds, a varied fauna appeared in the marshes. With diverse local wildlife sheltered in the valley, humid environments are pivotal in the ecological discussion.

Farming

Farming represents 43% of Fontainebleau-Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve territory. Apart from the Plaine de Bière, in the North, dedicated to market gardening, agriculture mainly consists of cereal cropping.

1948

IUCN Fondation in Fontainebleau

(International Union for Conservation of Nature)

2000

Prehistoric sites
and rock shelters

13

Millions of visitors per year

A territory of People, Nature, culture and history

Fontainebleau and Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve, a patchwork of ecosystem !

Forests, desert landscapes, moors, limestone lawns, agglomerations, roads that fragment the massif, wetlands, cultivated areas, banks of the Loing and Essonne…

The Fontainebleau forest, one of the most beautiful forests in Europe, classified as an exceptional forest, offers a wealth of exceptional species but also an amazing geology, landscapes of flats, sand, rocky chaos, a legacy of a sea that disappeared from the Paris Basin 30 million years ago.

A recognized heritage to be protected

Its landscapes, its natural, historical and cultural riches make the territory of the Biosphere Reserve very attractive for visitors and tourists.

Each year, the Fontainebleau massif welcomes more than 13 million visitors.

One of the challenges of the Biosphere Reserve is to reconcile these human activities with the protection of the environment.

Land of kings, land of history, land of protection

The Biosphere Reserve is home to one of the largest prehistoric rock complexes in Europe with more than 2000 engraved shelters.

The diversity of tree species testifies to the relationship between Man and Nature over the centuries. From Robert the Pious to Francis I who built the palace of Fontainebleau, from Henry IV who moved the Route Ronde for hunting to Louis XIV who asked Colbert to put in place measures to protect oak trees, this land of kings remains rich on the natural and historical levels.

This is where the first modern environmental protection measures were launched. In the 19th century, for the first time in modern times, the painters of the Barbizon school obtained from Napoleon III the foundation of a first reserve and, in 1861, more than 1000 hectares will be protected for artistic reasons.

It was also in Fontainebleau that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was created in 1948. The world’s leading environmental union, it is now the largest and most diverse environmental network on the planet, bringing together more than 1,300 members, states, government agencies, NGOs or organizations of indigenous peoples and more than 10,000 international experts.

The first-ever marked trail in the world!

Claude-Francois Dénecourt(1788-1875), created the first walking trail in the world in 1842. After his death, the Colinets continued his work by adding 100km to the already existing 150 km trail. These trails are marked today by a blue paint stroke and are cared for by the ONF and AFF (amis de la forest de Fontainebleau).

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Discover our Biosphere Reserve

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Fontainebleau and Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve

A territory of Man-Nature conciliation

A territory committed for more than 25 years

Our goals: actions to preserve, developpe, and innovate!

The management structure of the Biosphere Reserve