Project Managers:
Atmosylva
Location:
Saint-Mars-d’Outillé, in the Sarthe department, FRANCE (72 department)
Start of the Project:
2022
Achievements to Date:
4,231 trees planted over 3 hectares, with 585 tonnes of stored carbon
Capacity:
19,500 trees
Objectives:
- Reforest land after a wildfire;
- Implement a straightforward sustainable management plan (PEFC certified) for the reforested plot, adding a variety of species and trees with diverse maturity;
- Be certified for a French Low Carbon Label (LBC).
Planted Species:
- Atlas: 74%
- Atlas Cedar: 22%
- Downy Oak: 4%
Concerned Ecosystem:
The plots are located in the Pays de la Loire in the heart of Sarthe, a department with a 20% afforestation rate, which is below the 31% average of mainland France. The forest is mostly deciduous, largely composed of chestnuts and oaks. Sarthe’s landscape is predominantly a bocage region, crisscrossed by a vast network of rivers (over 4,000 km of watercourses).
Project Overview:
Despite its varied landscapes and natural environments, and an increasing forest area, the Sarthe’s forests suffer significantly from deterioration due to droughts and the proliferation of pathogens such as chestnut blight. Additionally, fires are increasingly common; in 2020, Sarthe was the department that carried out the most wildfire interventions in the western zone (spanning 20 departments). Fires are likely to increase because of climate change, if measures are not taken to prevent the presence of dry vegetation and if firewall systems are not put in place.
The project is located in a forest of coniferous and deciduous trees, known as the “Les Landes de la Chevalerie,” located in the eastern part of Saint-Mars-d’Outillé in France. The town, heavily forested compared to the rest of the department, with 47% of forests, provides a walking path that traverses the forest and connects to a major hiking trail.
Beneficiaries:
Local residents involved in the project, those dependent on forest exploitation, and indigenous wildlife.
