The Landes forest is remarkable for several reasons.
A red-bark trunk with a fairly dense crown covering it from thirty meters above.
This is the typical silhouette of southwestern France, which multiplies infinitely, over a million hectares, and forms the emblematic landscape of the Landes de Gascogne Forest. The forest is mainly composed of one specific species, the maritime pine (pinus pinaster), which benefits greatly from its waterlogged soil and can withstand long periods of summer sunshine.
The hand of Man. The work of Nature.
The maritime pine is an endemic species, which has been exploited for its wood and resin for thousands of years in Aquitaine, but the Landes forest owes its development to the benevolent intervention of Man. Protection of young trees, renewal of plots and respect for nature’s cycles are the foundations of silviculture as practiced in the Landes.
A model of economic responsibility
Since the middle of the 19th century, the Landes forest has been one of the economic engines of the region, just like wine or tourism in Bordeaux. Almost half of the French industrial wood comes from this area: construction, paper, cardboard, firewood …
Oligopin® and Cosmythic® are extracted from the pine bark, which is itself a by-product of the silvicultural industry, thus, no trees are felled for their manufacture; on the contrary, it contributes to a better valorization of this natural resource.
Constant reforestation
Pines are planted as seedlings, at densities ranging from 1100 to 1400 plants/ha. As the growth progresses, thinning is carried out to ensure the best growing conditions for the most beautiful specimens. Felling takes place between 35 and 50 years later. On completion, after leaving the plot to rest for a year, a new planting campaign is organized.