Long-term forest evolution and woodland uses in an ancient charcoal-production forest of the eastern French Pyrenees: an interdisciplinary approach at high spatio-temporal resolution

Vanessa Py (1) , Mélanie Saulnier (1) , Raquel Cunill Artigas (2) , Léonel Fouedjeu Foumou (1) , Sandrine Paradis-Grenouillet (3) , Sandrine Buscaino (1) , Didier Galop (1)

1 GEODE - Géographie de l'environnement
2 UAB - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona = Autonomous University of Barcelona = Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
3 GEOLAB - Laboratoire de Géographie Physique et Environnementale

This study characterizes the long-term history at a local level of an ancient ‘charcoal-production forest located in the high Vicdessos valley in the eastern French Pyrenees. We are interested in knowing its history and the evolution of human practices that have shaped it throughout time. The first results of this interdisciplinary study carried out at this micro-local level demonstrate its efficiency. Previous historical and palaeoecological documentation has allowed us to check the robustness of our methodology and validity of these results. We have been able to identify and clarify the long-term Bernadouze forest evolution from the Bronze Age to the contemporary era and to better characterise the state of the forest cover when charcoal manufacturing was introduced in the 14th c. AD.

Keywords: Bernadouze; France; Long term forest evolution; woodland uses; archaeology; charcoal production forest; dendrochronology; French Eastern Pyrenees; Vicdessos valley

Keywords: OHM Haut-Vicdessos

Domains: Archaeology and Prehistory; Environmental studies; Geography

Vanessa Py, Mélanie Saulnier, Raquel Cunill Artigas, Léonel Fouedjeu Foumou, Sandrine Paradis-Grenouillet, et al.. Long-term forest evolution and woodland uses in an ancient charcoal-production forest of the eastern French Pyrenees: an interdisciplinary approach at high spatio-temporal resolution. Chantal Aspe; Sylvain Burri; Sandrine Paradis-Grenouillet. Into the woods. Overlapping perspectives on the history of ancient forests., Quae, 2018, 978-2-7592-2907-9. ⟨hal-02000286⟩