French’s peatlands, uses and its Socio-Economic Consequences

in 2005

Or how to render the most visible sub-market…..

Theoric Problems of Definition

• Peatland has several functions serving varying interests and parties, so there are different definitions.

• It’s a french problem particulary because a special position and a diversity of different climate and végétation

• Scientists are faced with a massive task of defining peatland and its functions (celine Sacca work on this problematic)

Evolution of This Type of Biotope in France

• 120.000ha in 1945 (Frances, 199)

• 60.000ha in 1998 (Frances,199) remission underestimated

• In 2005 ?0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

1945 1998 2005

Estimation of actual surface area inhectaresdocumented surface area in hectares

Wetland French Policy

• 1976: Law for nature protection• 1992: Law on water, mention for the first time

wetlands• 1994: Law for classified installation• 1995:Law for protection of biodiversity• 1995:PAZH has been initiated by governement to

suitable preservation of wetland, born of pole relay mires

• 1996-1999: Life nature « French’s peatlands » in 15 different régions.

Géographic Distribution of French Peatlands

Dispersion in the Rhône-alpes Region

Rhône Alpes

• DEFINITION• Only Sites greater than 1

hectare should be considered

• Identification of a natural peat environment as defined by the CEE (Version EUR 15)

• PROCEEDURE• Research/ Compilation

of written sources• Creation of a potential list• Systematic visits to the

sites• The included sites should

correspond to the two defining criteria.

1000 visits for 623 peatlands retain today there is some discovered

St Sauveur le Vicomtes- 7 hectares- 10000 tons /year 2010

St Mars du Désert-130 hectare s- 40000 tons /year 2009

St Mars du Désert-82 hectares-5000 tons /year 2008

Autruche52 hectares-60000tons/year-2020

Saint Mars du Désert52 hectares-50000 tons/year-2010

Heurteauville50 hectares-40000tons/year-2007

Ambes-25 hectares-8000tons/year-2020

Le Couderc-25 hectares-15000tons/year-2022

Rascoupet-18 hectares-15000tons/year-2022

Marchastel-18 hectares-7500tons/year-2010

Between 20000 and 49000 tons/yearAfter 50000tons/year

St Chély-10 hectares-5000tons/year-2015

Courtenay-5 hectares-?tons/year-2015

Sucé sur Erdre-5 hectares-1500tons/year-?

Baupte-360 hectares-250000tons/year-en attente

Under 20000tons/year

Escout-11 hectares-10000tons/year-2008

Distribution of Peat extraction

Some Figures …• There are 16 peat mines in France

• Approximate surface area used: 1000 ha

• The exploited sites range from 5 ha to 350 ha, averaging 50ha per site.

• Employments: 1500 GM, 50 extraction

• Brown peat comprises the majority

• 1360000m3 of peat produced in France each year

• 2200000m3 imported each year

• CA SC global : 183.000.000 €

• Global SC Volume: 4.150.000 m3

• Price: 10 Euro /m3

Two Methods of Extraction

Dry• For countersinking,

use of heavy machinery, drainage….method widely used in many European countries

• Requires a consistant surface and slope

Wet• Digging directly into

the wetland, a method much less traumatizing for the environment.

• Possibility to have a good rehabilitation slope, reflect on wise use

National Consumption of Peat in %

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1975 1995 2005

Volume ImportedNational Production

National comsumption of peat in tons

• Importation has exploded, trippling in the last 10 years

• National production continues to increase, despite the decrease in exploitation

• Consider the data, which exemplifies a certain line of thought.

• Considered tons approximatively too 0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

1975 1995 2004

National Production intonsVolume ImportedAnnually in tons

2 MARKETS OF GROWING MEDIA

• Amatuer Market

• Strong Competition 12consumers / 35venders

• Poor Quality GM peat content: 30%

• Short Period of Harvest Large surfaces for only 3 years

• Allows for recycling of peat dust

• Professional MarketProfessional Market

• Higher Risk thousands of economic formulas

• High Quality 85 to 100% peat

• Customer Loyalty when satisfied

Managing Conservation

• Maintenance of deteriorating sites• Conservation of sites in good condition (to avoid closing

off the area)• What is the initial state of peatland…??• Difficulty to apprehend the initial state of an area after

exploitation• Measured Intervention, minimum of disturbances =

creation of a manadgment planification• Reparations in the beginning are well known, but we know

less on long term management.• source Maitre 2003

• Problems of evaluating the economic impact of rehabilitation and managment.

• A consideration just until intervention? • This kind of management has a price,

maintenence…. • It becomes a low priority in the

specialized society of interested in environnemental problems.

• Pictures Society BON NAT TECH of the peatland in Franbouhans

Agricultural Use

• Existing agricultural policy in opposition to the environmental legislation, like subvention for hectares use.

• Agriculture help managment conservation but is not always easy.

• Exitence of new contract, like CAD or CTE, they introduce environnemental consideration in agriculture manadgment.

Non-official Utilizations

• Local utilization of peat for « gardening »

• Illicite extraction (of the lands)

• Creation of water reservoirs at the end of « canons a neige » in the mountains peatlands.

• Reforestation (cf. doc du Réseau tourbières Auvergne et Massif Central)

Conclusion

• Peat market in France no stop to increase, specialy import, national production too.

• Peat exploitator are contrained to reabilitated peatland before the end of exploitation, what about the control?

• Use substituts make time , need change in mentality and study other market

• Madagment conservation learn about rehabilitation, and bring a new way.

• Economical evaluation of rehabilitation can be a brake

Reflexions and questions

Sociologic pist and reflexions

• Carine MAITRE want to show the relation between peatland and her different actors or user. She demontrat representation change with residence area. She showed too, that for the local actors there is just a usus relation.

• How definit this uses relation? What is utility value?

• Theoric reflexion in social georaphic speak about life territory

3 Different Activities, motivations point of wiew inside the Growing

Media• Extraction

• Diminution (employment, exploit, but increase of volum)

• Extraction, production of growing media Stability

• Production of growing media

• Increase

Quick historic of peat extraction in france

• The use of fuel peat reached its height in 1845 at 600.000 tons produced diminishing to 92.381 tons by 1945.

• It ceased to be used as fuel 1996• In the 1950’s, the government drained the wetlands to

fill the need for more land for industrialized agriculture • In the 1960’s, the cultivation of top soil developed,

along with the need to raise the price of soil. Peat extraction resumed at an intense level in spite of the restrictive measures passed in the 80’s, and this state has still not changed.

The stopping place manadgment

• Peatland is a wetland so they need a special machinery.

• Readaptation of hydric state• Coupe des vegetaux, enlevement de la couche de

tourbe mineralisée• Conditionnement, peat use for stop the drain• Evacuation• Gestion des ligneux, paturage extensif, fauche,

etrepage, pose d’endaims.