The Devès is a vast basalt plateau in the Velay mountains of the Massif Central, located in Haute-Loire, forming a natural region of France. It reaches its highest point at Mont Devès at an altitude of 1,421 meters.
| Devès | |
|---|---|
 Location map of Devès in the Massif Central | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,421 m (4,662 ft) at Mont Devès |
| Coordinates | 44°56′25″N 3°45′55″E / 44.94028°N 3.76528°E |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France |
| Parent range | Massif Central |
Toponomy
editDevès is an Occitan term that refers to a "forbidden forest, protected," meaning it is not exploited.[1]
Geography
editLocation
editThe Devès is bordered to the west by the upper Allier valley and the Margeride mountains, to the north by the Livradois mountains, to the northeast by the Meygal massif, and to the east by the upper Loire valley and the Vivarais mountains.[2]
Geology
editThe Devès massif, which is more of a high plateau, is one of the three volcanic massifs of Velay, the other two being the Mézenc massif and the Meygal.
It is the largest basalt plateau in the Massif Central. The first eruptions are dated to 6 million years ago, but most of the volcanic activity occurred between 3.5 and 0.6 million years ago, with two peaks at 1 and 2 million years ago.[3]
The surface of the plateau is covered with scoria cones of Strombolian origin.[4] Some of these cones still retain their craters, similar to some maar craters, which are depressions occupied by spontaneous vegetation adapted to wet environments. The most emblematic of the plateau are Lac du Bouchet, the narces of La Sauvetat,[5] and the Limagne marsh.[6] The others are called "gardes." There are about 150 of them, forming either a chain of small forest-covered hills along a north–south axis or appearing as features in the middle of fields. Most have been cultivated at their base, leaving a forest cover (pines) at their summit or rocky outcrops.[7]
Main summits
edit- Mont Devès, highest point of the massif at 1,421 m (4,662 ft)
- Mont Recours, 1,382 m (4,534 ft)
- Mont Tartas, 1,349 m (4,426 ft)
- Mont Farnier, 1,328 m (4,357 ft)
- Rang de la Garde, 1,326 m (4,350 ft)
- Champ Vestri, 1,321 m (4,334 ft)
- Mont Long, 1,317 m (4,321 ft)
- La Durande, 1,299 m (4,262 ft)
- Mont Maillon, 1,291 m (4,236 ft)
- La Vesseyre, 1,279 m (4,196 ft)
- Rocher de la Fagette, 1,265 m (4,150 ft)
- Montchaud, 1,243 m (4,078 ft)
- Montpignon, 1,230 m (4,040 ft)
- Mont Burel, 1,227 m (4,026 ft)
- Suc de Combret, 1,232 m (4,042 ft)
- Côte Rousse, 1,218 m (3,996 ft)
- Le Pouzat, 1,208 m (3,963 ft)
- Montjus, 1,122 m (3,681 ft)
- Suc de Miceselle, 1,115 m (3,658 ft)
- La Garde de Tallobre, 1,069 m (3,507 ft)
- La Garde des Ceyssoux, 1,064 m (3,491 ft)
- Mont Briançon, 1,045 m (3,428 ft)
Climate
editThe climate is cold but relatively dry; the Mounts of Cantal and Margeride provide a sheltered position leading to reduced precipitation (about 850 mm/year on average). In winter, snow remains on the ground for several months, and the forests and pastures are swept by the "burle," the local name for the blizzard.[8][9]
Fauna and flora
editThe Devès massif is characterized by a balanced landscape of grassland and cultivated systems.[10] Its forest cover rate of 22% is lower than the average for the Massif Central due to the clearing of ancient forests over the past 150 years. The area has the highest number of plant species in the department, with particularly rich flora and the presence of rare plants such as Neslia paniculata subsp. thracica, Camelina microcarpa, and Ranunculus lingua, which are critically endangered in Auvergne.[11]
References
edit- ^ Nègre, Ernest (1998). Toponymie générale de la France (in French). Librairie Droz. p. 1489. ISBN 978-2-600-02884-4. Archived from the original on 15 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Le territoire du Devès - Conservatoire botanique national du Massif central". projets.cbnmc.fr. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Géologie | Conservatoire d'espaces naturels d'Auvergne". cen-auvergne.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Bonifay, Eugène (1991). Le Lac du Bouchet (I): environnement naturel et étude des sédiments du dernier cycle climatique : depuis 120000 ans B.P. (in French). CERLAT. p. 66. ISBN 978-2-9505851-0-3. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Les Narces de la Sauvetat - Landos - Département 43 : Culture, sports et loisirs, économie et tourisme en Haute Loire - Conseil général 43". www.hauteloire.fr. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Découvrez le patrimoine local de Siaugues Sainte Marie dans le 43". www.mairie-siaugues-stemarie.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Les végétations du Devès - Conservatoire botanique national du Massif central". projets.cbnmc.fr. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ France, Centre (1 March 2018). "Météo - Notre vidéo de la burle et des congères au sud du département". www.leveil.fr. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ France, Centre (1 March 2018). "Météo - La burle et les congères formées en Haute-Loire en vidéos". www.lamontagne.fr. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Meinard, Yves; Thébaud, Gilles; Roux, Camille (14 December 2022). "Végétations et successions végétales dans les monts du Devès (Haute-Loire, France) : esquisse phytosociologique et symphytosociologique d'un secteur volcanique méconnu". BIOM - Revue scientifique pour la biodiversité du Massif central (in French). 3 (1): 82–102. doi:10.52497/biom.v3i1.318. ISSN 2727-8131. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Les trachéophytes du Devès - Conservatoire botanique national du Massif central". projets.cbnmc.fr. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
