Area 10,600 ha (41 sq mi) | Management National Forests Office | |
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Location Allier, Auvergne, France Elevation 205–360 m (673–1,181 ft) Designation ZNIEFF, Réseau Natura 2000, réserve biologique intégrale Administrator Office national des forêts Address Route Forestière de la Bouteille, 03360 Vitray, France | ||
Vues d auvergne saison 2 la fore t de tronc ais allier
La forêt de Tronçais is located in the French Allier department. It is mainly made up of sessile oak.
Contents
- Vues d auvergne saison 2 la fore t de tronc ais allier
- La for t de tron ais visites priv es
- Geography
- Biosphere
- Bodies of water
- Geology
- History
- Wood quality
- Management
- La futaie Colbert
- Flora and fauna
- Fonts
- Archaeological sites
- Forest Art
- References
In 2011, it spanned nearly 10,600 ha (26,000 acres) and 130 ha of ponds. It is deemed by many as the most beautiful oakwood in Europe.
It is managed by l'Office national des forêts.
La for t de tron ais visites priv es
Geography
The massif is located in the Bourbonnais and Allier department. The oakwood spans the communes of Braize (776 ha), Cérilly, Allier (1788 ha), Couleuvre (405 ha), Isle-et-Bardais (2788 ha), Le Brethon (1400 ha), Meaulne (112 ha), Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais (1176 ha), Urçay (343 ha), Valigny (17 ha) and Vitray (1728 ha).
Located in the INF (inventaire national forestier) "sylvoecoregion" of " Boischaut et Champagne berrichonne ", the forest constitutes the most part of the massif du Tronçais, which spans about 1,200 ha (3,000 acres).
Rainfall is between 800 and 900 mm. Average temperature is 10 °C (50 °F).
The massif has a general north-west orientation, with slight slopes, except in the massif de La Bouteille and stream hollows. Altitudes vary from 205 m (NW) to 360 m (au Bois laid).
There are four big areas : l'Armenanche (east), la Réserve (center), les Landes blanches (NW) and la Bouteille (SW). Several enclaves have created " open areas ". The contours of the écotone/lisières massif are very rugged.
Biosphere
The massif plays an important role in the "réservoir de biodiversité" at national level for many species. It also hosts many grove-like landscapes or " paysages bocagers " (bocage bourbonnais, seasonal agropastoral bocage and permanent grassland landscape).
Other nearby massifs:
Bodies of water
Beside streams, two rivers fare through the massif : la Marmande and la Sologne. 5 ponds :
There are about 100 springs.
Geology
The forest is located on the southern limit of the Paris Basin, on varied substrats (from the primary to the quaternary eras). Most of the forest is located on sandstone or clay from the triassic period.
History
Tronçais is first recorded from the 13th century, in a document relating to the priory de la Bouteille.
First owned by 14 nearby parishes, then yielded in 1327 to the ducs de Bourbon, la forêt de Tronçais belongs to central power since 1527, when it was confiscated from the Connétable de Bourbon by royal power, along with all his land possessions.
The building of Tronçais oakwood goes back to Jean-Baptiste Colbert who planned the delimitation and rearrangement in 1670. Colbert, who wanted to provide the kingdom with a powerful navy had decided to plant over 1,000,000 ha (2,500,000 acres) of trees, of which the specially selected bows and trunks would provide a raw material of high quality. He had hence edited a catalog showing selected wood types "les bois tors", destined for marine industrial carpentry.
The forest was then degraded, namely during the Revolution and also by the creation in 1788 des forges de Tronçais fed by charcoal. It therefore had to be regenerated in the 19th century.
Said forge, founded by Nicolas Rambourg, was in operation from 1791 to 1932.
Wood quality
Tronçais Oak is well reputed, notably to make wine tubs destined to " raise wines ". which is due to the following factors :
Management
The forest is divided into 442 parcels of sessile oak (95% of the surface) and Scots pine or black pine (5%). Beech and hornbeam are also present, along with cherry and checker tree.
La futaie Colbert
The oldest forest trees are in la " futaie Colbert ". It is a 13 ha parcel, of which most trees are from the end of the 17th century. These are ranked as réserve biologique dirigée, sylviculture is no longer practiced, in order to favor of biodiversity around deadwood and senescent trees.
La futaie Colbert spanned 73 ha in 1976, of which 60 were regenerated from 1976 to 2001.
Flora and fauna
The forest hosts a broad and ancient array of fauna and flora. There are predators (such as common buzzard, booted eagle, northern goshawk, hen harrier, etc.) and many breeds of bats. The diversity of insects is also very important, notably in the parcels of the old wood (namely in the futaie Colbert).
Over 1,100 ha are in Natura 2000. There is also a biological reserve (98 ha) since 1996.
Important populations of stag, roe and wild boor are regulated by hunting.
Fonts
These are spring sources that have been arranged by humans over time:
Archaeological sites
The forest hosts many undelved archaeological Gallo-Roman sites.
Forest Art
Sculpted trunks have been stalled in the forest's clearings by l'ONF and la communauté de communes du Pays de Tronçais in 2008, 2010 et 2012.