Métallurgie au bois et espaces forestiers pyrénéens dans l'Aude et l'Ariège

Abstract

Forests, charcoal and iron industry in Aude and Ariège Pyrenean districts. In spite of their biogeographical pre-disposition for forests of elm and fir, the upper valleys of Aude and Ariège are covered by distinct forest types. This is due to the fact that forestry was managed and wood exploited for different aims. Along the Aude, the requirement to grow wood for carpentry and naval construction boosted the development of fir trees forests all over an area from which rough timber could be exported for extra-mountain uses. In Ariège, the managers of the local kilns prefered elm wood, as it better fits charcoal production. These different economic prospects have caused separate interpretations of the same national forestry policy throughout the modern and contemporary period.

Evolution d'une unité agro-sylvo-pastorale de moyenne montagne sur les communes de Sost et d'Esbareich (Barousse-Hautes Pyrénées) de 1833 à 1933. Modalités-Causes-Conséquences

“…Pendant des siècles le charbonnage dans les Pyrénées a été une pratique commune (BONHOTE et FRUHAUF, 1990;BONHOTE et al, 1991). Les emplacements de charbonnières, «directement liés à l'exploitation localisée du bois» (BONHOTE et al, 1991) Par ailleurs la présence de Hêtres à port champêtre (à houppier développé) dans les bois C et B, de Chênes très grands et à fort diamètre dans le bois B sont les indices de peuplements très ouverts.…”

Late Holocene history of woodland dynamics and wood use in an ancient mining area of the Pyrenees (Ariège, France)

“…In the past, mining and ore processing activities in Europe exerted a strong pressure on woodland cover and contributed significantly to environmental changes (Monna et al, 2004a;Breitenlechner et al, 2010;P elachs et al, 2009;Ludemann, 2010;Knapp, 2012;Roepke and Krause, 2013;Py et al, 2014;Knapp et al, 2015;Tolksdorf et al, 2015). In the 80e90s, several studies carried out in the Eastern Pyrenees (southwestern France) and focused on charcoal making activity showed the importance of this phenomenon (Bonhôte and Vernet, 1988;M etaili e et al, 1988;Bonhôte and Fruhauf, 1990;Izard, 1993;Davasse and Galop, 1994;Davasse, 2000;Bonhôte et al, 2002). However, with some exceptions (Dubois and M etaili e, 2001), the data obtained for several valleys remained partial and disparate, particularly for periods prior to the 17th c. The most efficient way to understand the different anthropogenic factors affecting an ancient mining territory is to utilise a global and integrated approach as it was successfully done in the Basque Country (Galop et al, 2001;Monna et al, 2004b), Mont-Loz ere (Servera Vives et al, 2014;Bal et al, 2015;Paradis-Grenouillet et al, 2015) and Harz Mountains (Knapp et al, 2013).…”

Palaeoecological study of Pyrenean lowland fir forests: Exploring mid–late Holocene history of Abies alba in Montbrun (Ariège, France)

“…The impact of iron metallurgy and related charcoal production was a determining factor for the evolution of the forests in most valleys of Ari ege and Catalonia, and provoked the near disappearance of the fir tree, replaced by beech and oak coppices or pastures. These activities and their environmental impacts were determined by palynological or anthracological kiln site analysis on both sides of the Pyrenees (Bonhôte and Fruhauf, 1990;Galop and Jalut, 1994;Bonhôte, 1998;Bonhôte et al, 2002;P elachs et al, 2009). It could also highlight an early role such as during the Middle Ages of the management of fir groves by communities or landlords, in order to preserve a disappearing resource (Bonhôte, 1998;Dubois and M etaili e, 2001;M etaili e, 2006).…”