Forest of the Massacre

The forest of the Massacre is located in the Département of the Jura (39). It extends on several communal or private forests from a certain number of communes. The Massacre culminates with 1495 meters (Crêt Pela), which makes of it the most solid mass of the Jura.

Geography

To the east of Saint-Claude on a side and to approximately 8-10 kms of the Swiss border of the other, the Forest of the Massacre extends on the communes from Lajoux (department of the Jura), Mijoux, Prémanon, Molunes, Septmoncel and Lamoura. The forest is bordered in the east by the valley of Valserine and, in the west, by the combe of the lake.

History

The forest of the Massacre, formerly called forest of Frasse, changed name during the 16th century for historical reasons.

It was called “Massacre” since 1535, after a confrontation between 600 Italian mercenaries, ordered by Renzo de Céry and envoys by François Ier, and of the armies of the Duc of Savoy Charles III, ordered by the Baron of Sara. The Italian mercenaries were sent to help the town of Geneva, besieged by the Savoyard ones; the latter, after being stopped with the Collar of the Sickle, were pushed back in the valley of Valserine, then dispersed and destroyed in this forest. Two other battles had proceeded one year before between armed with François Ier and the Savoyard armies in the plains around Gex, always for the same reason; at the time of these two battles, the Savoyard ones were also demolished.

The inhabitants of the Jura, frightened by this atrocious tragedy, re-elected this forest of “Frasse”: “Forest of the Massacre”. Let us specify that rare were the authors who employed this name until the 18th century.

Sylviculture

The Forest of the Massacre is an exceptional forest, characterized by spruces with very fine increases, sometimes exceeding fifty meters in height, often columnaires (see below: Flora).

The solid mass is treated in gardened grove. This forest management style, currently applied, is favorable to Tétraonidés present on the solid mass (capercaillie and hazel grouse).

Flora

The dominant gasoline of the solid mass is the spruce which occupies more than 90% of the forest. Here, this forest gasoline is exceptional: perfectly adapted to the rigors of the long winters, the trees reach very large sizes for the species; the branches, tightened against the trunk under the important weight of snow, give to the trees the shape of spindle, called “columnaire”. The particular calcareous medium characterizes this forest in a Pessière on Lapiaz where the growth is all the more reduced. The Sapin reaches here the higher limit of its surface. The Hêtre becomes more and more invading and obstructs the growth of the young spruces. To a lesser extent, the maple is also present. One meets also many other shrubby species, such as the Sorbier, the Saule or chèvrefeuille. On the ground, species acidiphiles develop the such Airelle and various types of foams. One also sees, by places, of the vegetable formations of tall grasses: mégaphorbiaies. The solid mass contains moreover several species of orchises as well as the lily martagon.

Fauna and installation of a decree of protection of biotope

The Forest of the Massacre shelters a faunistic diversity remarkable Côté birds, one can meet two species of nicheuses owls: the Owl of Tengmalm and the Chevêchette d' Europe, but also various other species such as the black peak, the lark tutu or bondrée the apivore. Concerning the capercaillie and the Grouse, they unfortunately saw their populations being restricted because of strong human activity on the solid mass, as well in winter as in summer.

The installation of a stopped protection of biotope “capercaillie” since 1992, makes it possible to regularize the human practices on the solid mass, which supports the two species of Tétraonidés.

The mammals are represented by the Lynx, maintaining well installed, but also the stag, become “invading”, whereas the Chevreuil, him, rarefies. The wild boar , the Chamois and the Lièvre are also present.

Activities

The tourist centers of Russet-red and Prémanon offer many winter activities (Alpine skiing, ski touring, rackets,…) and estival (VTT, excursion,…). The passion of the sports of full nature, the need for ressourcer, associated with calm calming down forest, do of them one of the most attended solid masses of the Jura. One finds there in particular many country cottages of reception and marked out courses. These factors and others, the such forestry practices, make a attended forest of it all the year.

Characteristics

The Forest of the Massacre, was undoubtedly for a long time used for its wood of high-quality. The extreme conditions of growth, related on the climatic rigor and the poverty of the grounds, limit considerably the duration of the season of vegetation, therefore the annual increase in the diameter of the trees. These circumstances give to the wood of spruce a very fine grain which offers to the best violin makers the wood of resonance for the manufacture of musical instruments, violins in particular. The famous Stradivarius is in spruce of resonance (not of the Jura this one).

Scarcity and the characteristic of the " pessières on lapiaz" in make exceptional mediums which should be preserved.

The forest of the Massacre contains a rare tree: the transferred spruce (to take on the right with the crossroads of the Massacre while coming from Lajoux and on the left while coming from the Country cottage from Frasse).

See too

Internal bonds

Forest in France
List of the principal forests of France
Geography of the department of the Jura

Bond external

the Forest of the Massacre on Natura2000
a walk in the forest of the Massacre

Sources

History of the Massacre
Document of Natura2000 objective, Forest of Massacre (pdf)
Natura2000 (pdf)

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