THE FRENCH FOREST RESOURCE OF SESSILE AND PEDUNCULATE OAK - AN ANALYSIS IN THE LIGHT OF PAST HISTORY

Pedunculate oak and sessile oak cover 31% of the forested area used for yield. In the past, because of wood shortage, it was necessary to regulate forestry harvesting; the ''tire and aire'' forestry harvesting was ratified by the first forestry code of 1376 and was similar to the present management as coppice with standards and simple coppice systems. The IFN (National Forestry Inventory) data show that nowadays both coppices and coppices with standards are largely dominant (fig 1). Hence the example given of a state forest its conversion into an even-aged forest, is often difficult since the majority of high forests are < 120 yr old (fig 4) and has the expected effects on the main oak-wood owners: ie private owners and local communities. The excellent technological quality of the tree trunks from coppice with standards (fig 6) is one reason why the use of such a system has been maintained.