BIOGEOGRAPHICAL DYNAMIC OF AFFORESTATION IN LANGUEDOC DURING MIDDLE-AGE - THE IMPACT OF YEAR 1000

The persistence of mesophilic taxa at low altitude until the year one thousand in Languedoc was established by comparing three kinds of sour ces : written documents, microtoponymy and charcoal analysis. They wer e localized everywhere around the whole mediterranean area of the Cent ral massif. Mountain species from middle Europe were present : mainly beech, fir and hazel tree. They survive in privilegied edaphic conditi ons along riversides or at the coastal pondsides. The great clearing o f the XI century definitively eliminated these species. From 1040-1060 , the increase of ''Condamines'' testifies that the heavy soils with a lluvial deposits were integrated into the farming system. Therefore, t he action of peasants during the XI century laid down the present leve l of vegetation.