The forest of Bercé, in the Sarthe -

JF Monnier / AFP

  • To avoid the harmful effects of global warming, certain trees must be renewed.

  • In recent years, a million maritime pines, Douglas or Sessile oaks have been planted in the region.

Cross the bar of two million trees planted in the Pays-de-la-Loire region.

This is the new course that Atlanbois has set for the next four years with a rather clear objective: "prevention rather than cure".

"We must not wait for the harmful effects of climate change, sometimes increased tenfold by diseases," indicates Philippe Besseau, project manager within this inter-professional association for the promotion of wood.

Cutting, replanting and thus working to renew trees is necessary to revitalize our forest.

"

It must be said that the Pays-de-la-Loire region does not have rows of trees as far as the eye can see.

Relatively little wooded, the territory has 388,000 hectares of forest, or only 12% of the regional surface with strong disparities between the departments (from 7% for Vendée to 20% in Sarthe).

And some essences are starting to suffer.

“We are not yet in a critical situation but with the heat and the drought, the trees are dying, we are faced with what we call“ poor stands ”, continues Philippe Besseau.

For example, there is a real concern about chestnuts or poplars, whose current surface we would like to keep.

"

Ecological and economic objective

There is therefore still time to change the situation.

In recent years, a million maritime pines, Douglas trees or sessile oaks have been planted.

But apart from the famous forests of Gâvre (Loire-Atlantique) or Bercé (Sarthe), which belong to the State, do not look for them in large spaces where you can walk.

In Pays-de-la-Loire, some 140,000 private owners share the forest area.

Three quarters of the trees are deciduous, with a majority of oaks. 

In addition to the ecological interest, the objective of this renewal is of course economic with a desire to further increase the production of "timber", that is to say intended for the construction of framework, furniture or house frames.

Some trees will also make it possible to produce energy by being burned, others will be transformed into "industrial wood". 

According to Atlanbois, 70% of the wood used in construction in France comes from France.

For our region, “the forest is not enough to supply all the wood we need”.

The very dynamic timber industry supports more than 30,000 employees and more than 7,000 companies in the Pays-de-la-Loire.

Planet

Sarthe: A 300-year-old oak felled to be transformed into barrels

Planet

Loire-Atlantique: Why are there so many bats in the Gâvre forest?

  • Tree

  • Nantes

  • Forest

  • Planet