Maritime Pine
This is Napoleon III who imposes soils remediation in “Les Landes” superficie. By the law dated of June 19th in 1857, they start to transform the whole area. This is the beginning of maritime pine cultivation !
The Maritime pine has been introduced on Aquitaine coast in the 19th century for several reasons: secure soils and dunes, clean up a marshy and humid place, have the possibility to supply a tree which the surrounding population can run and use It is a new economic activity which starts and trees production is grow up
The Maritime pine is a conifer as the spruce, the douglas fir, the larch, the sylvester pine and/or the fir.
This specy can support poor soils and grounds but it needs light, heat and humidity, and it has the reputation to be resistant to -20°C. Very famous in sandy regions, it stabilizes the ground.
He can reach 40 meters height (the maturity is around 30-35 meters), The maritime pine tree has a wide top but sparsely furnished branches of the low part fall, even when the tree grows freely, which can twist the trunk.
The Maritime pine is a hard wood (low flexibility). It can be milled, nailed and finished (varnished or painted) very easily. Due to a low density, the maritime pine has very good insulation characteristic.
Landes de Gascogne Forest
Landes de Gascogne forest extends over 1 million hectares in the Southwest of France and constitutes 90 % of maritime pine (Pinus Pinaster).
To Gascogne Bois, the maritime pine is our favorite wood specie !
Landes de Gascogne forest is the European biggest coniferous forest cultivated.
In some figures:
of m3 stumpage
of the forest is private (more than 60 000 owners)
Forest companies
direct jobs
m3 logs cut a year
THE WOOD, THE MOST ECOLOGICAL MATERIAL FOR YOUR HOUSING ENVIRONMENT
The wood is an unmistakably ecological material: it is sustainable, renewable and consumes few energy.
Choosing wood for its housing environment avoid to use depletable ressources and to reduce energy consumption for implementation.
There is no risk of wood shortage : it is the only completely natural and renewable material … Indeed: to grow up, a tree only needs sun and a little water!
In the forestry: nothing gets lost. In Gascogne group, we are a fully integrated industry and we use 100% of the tree for several applications. We select the different parts of the wood to use it in its best using depending of its quality : wood energy, wood packing, decorative wood, paper. Even pine needles are used in cosmetic industry.