A Parisian square will be completely wooded by the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to our partner The Conversation.
Several “urban forests” must therefore be created in Paris over the next few years.
The analysis of this phenomenon was carried out by Serge Muller, professor and researcher at the Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity of the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN).
On October 12, 2021, the city of Paris adopted by deliberation its “tree plan 2021-2026”.
This includes the 2020 commitments to plant 170,000 trees during the current term of office and, in this context, to contribute to the creation of several “urban forests” in Paris over the coming years.
The most advanced project, which is scheduled to be finalized for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is that of the Place de Catalogne, near the Montparnasse station, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.
This initiative was the subject of a public consultation from October 21 to November 24, 2021.
By occupying a relatively large area, over one hectare, with the objective of planting around 5,000 tree and shrub seedlings, this project constitutes an interesting opportunity for innovation and experimentation for urban planting operations. .
Which species to choose?
The current doctrine for Miyawaki type microforest plantations (on smaller areas, of the order of a few hundred m2) is to make very dense plantations (of the order of 3 plants per m2) and of n ' only use native species, ie naturally occurring in the region, corresponding to the “potential natural vegetation” of the territory.
However, the current native forest of Ile-de-France appears to be in bad shape, threatened as it is by the ongoing climate change.
It would thus seem more innovative, and relevant, to seek to create an urban forest “of tomorrow”: adapted to the climatic conditions of the second half of the 21st century and taking into account the results of studies and models of the potential distribution areas of species. forests by 2100.
This knowledge and predictions lead to the proposal to create a Mediterranean holm oak forest, in a submediterranean variant, with pubescent oak, Provence hackberry, Montpellier maple, country maple, white alien, l wild service tree, flowering ash, yew, etc.
And, for the shrub layer, species such as arbutus, boxwood, male dogwood, wood laurel, oval serviceberry, bay laurel, tin viburnum, butcher's broom, terebinth pistachio, alater buckthorn , common myrtle, etc.
Strawberry tree in bloom at the end of October in Paris © Serge Muller / MNHN (CC BY-NC-ND)
The tin viburnum, an evergreen Mediterranean shrub that blooms in winter, is abundantly planted in the city © Serge Muller / MNHN (CC BY-NC-ND)
All these species enter into the composition of the Mediterranean holm oak forest (or “yeuseraie”).
They are all spontaneously present on the French Mediterranean territory.
Some of them (such as pubescent oak, country maple, white and torminal service trees, male dogwood, oval serviceberry, boxwood, etc.) are also naturally present in the Paris region, in particular in habitats the most thermophilic (the pubescent oak grove).
Holm oak and hackberry from Provence
All the species mentioned above have in fact already been planted in populations separated from each other in Paris (in parks, gardens, squares, squares and / or streets) and show a good adaptation to local conditions.
This is particularly the case of the hackberry tree of Provence, of which more than 4000 trees are already present in Paris with a very satisfactory development.
The holm oak of Parc Montsouris © Serge Muller / MNHN (CC BY-NC-ND)
The holm oak in the same way has more than 800 trees registered in the open data of the city of Paris;
the most imposing tree grows there very well in Parc Montsouris not far from Place de Catalogne, with a trunk circumference of over 250 cm for a height of 15 m.
The interest of the project would thus be to constitute, on the basis of the association of these species already present, but dispersed in different places of Paris, a Mediterranean sub-Mediterranean urban forest and to study its adaptation and its evolution as a plant community and ecosystem.
It could also be interesting to create, if possible, a certain heterogeneity in the local ecological conditions, therefore of the soil and the water regime (some wetter areas and others drier).
This could allow the occasional establishment of a cooler or humid station forest with white poplar and oxyphyl ash and, in other drier areas, xerophilic forests with Mediterranean pines such as the umbrella pine, which is very present (60 trees) in the Atlantic garden of the Montparnasse station, in the immediate vicinity of the Place de Catalogne, and the Aleppo pine, also planted in Paris.
Holm oak and its fruits © Serge Muller / MNHN (CC BY-NC-ND)
An opening to other continents
If for the place of Catalonia, there is a certain logic in creating a European Mediterranean forest, for other projects of "urban forests" on more or less large areas in Paris, it could also be interesting to create temperate forests. thermophiles made up of essences from other continents (North America, the Near or Far East, or even the southern hemisphere)… obviously adapted to the current and future climatic conditions of the city of Paris and made up of non-invasive species.
American hardwood as an autumn adornment © Serge Muller / MNHN (CC BY-NC-ND)
Our "FOREST" file
Here again, taking into account the performance of trees of these species already planted in Paris or on the outskirts, in particular in parks, botanical gardens and arboretums, could provide very useful information on the adaptation of these species to environmental conditions. current and future in the city of Paris.
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This analysis was written by Serge Muller, professor and researcher at the Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity of the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN).
The original article was published on The Conversation website.
Declaration of interests
Serge Muller currently chairs the National Council for the Protection of Nature (CNPN). He is an associate member of the Environmental Authority of the CGEDD and a member of the Group on ecological town planning (GUE) of the Sorbonne-University Institute for Environmental Transition (SU-ITE).
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