In 2022, a consortium comprising Ecofirst, CWEPSS, and MaSePaS was entrusted by the Wallonia Public Service (Department of Nature and Forests and DEMNA) with a fascinating but rather complex mission: to propose a methodology for assessing the conservation status of the Natura 2000 habitat 8310, i.e., natural caves not exploited for tourism.

Beyond the strict protection of vulnerable species classified as priority species (Annex II of the Habitats Directive), it is now widely accepted that the protection of biodiversity also (and perhaps above all) depends on the sustainable management and protection of their habitats and, consequently, the living conditions of these same species and communities. The objective of this work is to provide the SPW with a protocol that allows for the most objective and consistent assessment possible of the good (or poor) condition of the subterranean environment in Wallonia, based on a series of field observations and the compilation of existing biological data. The proposed approach integrates both the “abiotic” characteristics of the environment (physico-chemical conditions, microclimate), biological data (lists of present species, rarity, and population dynamics), as well as the threats (particularly those linked to human activities) facing this environment and the biodiversity within it.

This document is an update to the final contract report, issued in June 2023, whose objective was to provide an overview of the tasks carried out by the partners under Contract 8310 since its notification. This update, titled “rapport post-final_février 2025,” contains a series of additional elements added to the final report so that all elements and deliverables are compiled and provided to the SPW in a clear, concise, and coordinated manner.