Method for constructing and monitoring the colonization of a dry pond on the Vitrolles Plateau

In the regions of Provence where surface water is scarce, people have long made use of lavognes—pools designed to collect rainwater—to provide drinking water for their herds. These water sources, derived from the Occitan word *lavanha* (pond), are of paramount importance for biodiversity conservation. The LPO PACA initiated the construction of a lavogne on the Vitrolles Plateau to fulfill the goal of promoting traditional extensive livestock farming for the management of this Provençal mountain range. The lavogne creation project was launched in September 2014 thanks to the municipality of Vitrolles and the Itancia Endowment Fund, in collaboration with the ONF. The pond filled naturally and quickly following stormy weather. The most striking result was the pond’s use in its very first year for the reproduction of natterjack toads, followed the next year by common toads. From the very first year, dragonfly breeding was observed (notably the striped darter and the green damselfly). Following the August 2016 fire, naturalist surveys will allow for the continued study of the pond’s colonization.