| Although forestry exploitation and cuttings will never stop, the European forest covered surface is still growing. Every year, it gains a surface equal to that of the Cyprus Island. In France, nowadays, the forest covers more than 16 million hectares – a 60% progress during a century. Every year 80 million trees are planted, thus, between 1985 and 1995 the French forest has extended its surface with up to 30 000 hectares/year.
Having more than 130 species of diffent trees, the forests of Hexagon are, by far, the most diversified on the whole continent. More over, a line can be crossed between a Northen Europe with resines and South Europe with hardwood. Between the two, a variety of forestry landscapes can be noticed: Vosgy forests, the Landais mountains, the Chambord or the chestnut platation of Corsa. The forest covered surfaces occupy more than a quarter of the country’s territory.
As a leader in this field, France has developed, since the 17th century, a tradition for a sustainable foresty management (Colbert’s forestry code). Due to this fact and to a carrefully selected repopulation – 30 years for pines, 120 for oaks – wood is a natural and inexhaustible material by exellence, ecological, recycleble, robust, elegant, flexible. No doubt, a material for future constructions. |
