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Visitor pressure: an investigation on Mont Lozere.
Mont Lozere is, at 1699 m, the highest mountain in the southern Massif
Central. It also lies at the heart of the Cévennes National Park. Not
surprisingly, it is a popular destination for many different kinds of
tourist activity; walking, pony trekking, mountain bikeing and many
others. Its popularity is increased by the fact that it is an easily
accessible peak, crossed by a number of well marked tracks and paths. The
impact caused by tourist activity is the focus of this unit
particularly the footpath erosion caused by walkers. Students are encouraged
not only to quantify this damage, but to assess wider environmental impacts
as well as the success or otherwise of management techniques employed by the
National Park authorities.
Ecosystem studies
It is the great ecological variety
of the Cévennes which caused it to be designated a World Biosphere
Reserve in 1984. This highly flexible unit includes an investigation of up
to four very different ecosystems in a full day of fieldwork. Habitats
ranging from peat bogs to woodlands, moorlands, pasture or scree slopes are
all available within walking distance of the Centre. The nature and
structure of each is measured accurately, and their functioning with regard
to controlling factors is explored using a comparative approach. A wide
range of fieldwork equipment and field techniques are used.
River processes: a case study of the River Souteyran.
Channel processes and land forms come under close scrutiny in this unit,
as do river valley forms, land use patterns and human influence within the
Souteyran catchment. Students are exposed to a number off important
geographical techniques, both in the field and the classroom. The continuing
link between natural hazards (in this case flooding as well as drought) and
human lives and activities forms a background context to the entire study.
Human management of the river channel is examined as an example of this
link.
Agriculture in the Massif Central : a case study on Mont Lozere.
High altitude, a harsh and unreliable mountain climate,
poor soil quality and rural outmigration characterise much of the Massif
Central upland region of France. In this unit the problems associated with
farming in this very marginal area are explored through farm visits,
interviews with farmers and land capability surveys. A comparison between
two contrasting farms is made in order to highlight the pivotal role of the
farmer as decision™maker. N.B. this study may be undertaken simply as a
half™day farm visit.
Florac and Le Pont de Montvert: a comparative study.
Florac, the sub™prefecture of Lozere, has a population of over 2000
people, whilst Pont de Montvert is a much smaller settlement at around 300.
This unit allows comparison of their sites, situations, forms and functions.
Service provision, catchment areas and tourist facilities are examined in
order to establish the importance of the tourist industry to the continued
development of these two rural settlements.
Geology and the environment.
The Massif Central
forms one of the principal geological units of France. It is composed of
three types of rock: igneous granites and lavas, metamorphic schists and
gneiss and sedimentary limestones. The Eagles Nest is ideally situated for
the study of all three rock types; a wide range of features and landscapes
may be observed within a surprisingly small area. This unit contrasts these
landscapes,, and compares the rocks in terms of colour, hardness etc. N.B.
This unit can be undertaken as a theme running concurrently with
other units through the week, rather than conducting it on a particular
day.
The environmental impact of skiing.
Local and regional authorities have encouraged the development of
downhill skiing in an attempt to bring some of the economic benefits
associated with this huge growth industry to the Massif Central.
Unfortunately, not all the ski areas have become commercially successful. In
addition, unwelcome environmental impacts have been created e.g. gulleying.
This unit uses the ski chalet du Mont Lozere as a case study for these
issues. The visual and ecological impacts of the ski chalet development are
assessed, and the attitudes of a cross section of people are included.
Coastal processes and sand dune systems on the
Mediterranean.
Taking students through the unique landscape of
the Camargue, this study is based on the dynamic but fragile dune and beach
systems of the coastal zone of the Rhone delta. It includes a survey of
colonization, competition and succession by plant communities within the
dunes. Developments since the 1960s have had impacts on the dune system in
particular, with noticeable results on dune morphology and ecology.
Management strategies, both actual and hypothetical, are discussed and
evaluated.
La Grande Motte and Aigues Mortes: perception of the built environment.
La Grande Motte is a 1960s resort development which
contains a wide variety of tourist facilities housed within a modernist
architectural setting. In contrast, Aigues Mortes is a walled medieval city,
which served as both departure point for crusades and major trading port. It
offers a very distinctive range of tourist facilities and caters to a quite
different market. Comparisons are made between the built environments of the
two towns, the services they provide and the numbers and origins of
visitors.
Aigues Mortes: a study of functional change.
This unit encourages students to explore both the old and the new towns of Aigues Mortes and to assess architectural quality and land use in each part. The
current sphere of influence of the town is measured and considered within
its historical context. Evidence of functional change and of the towns
historical role also forms part of the study.
Mende: a key settlement.
Mende is the prefecture and the most populous town in Lozere. This unit reveals urban structure,
functional zoneing and concentration of facilities via a comprehensive
land™use mapping exercise. Townscape perception scores are used along with
questionnaires to contrast the impact of tourists on the town and their
attitudes towards it. A number of environmental hazards are measured (e.g.
noise) and management ideas for the town as a whole introduced.
St. Enimie: a tourist honeypot.
St. Enimie is a
picturesque medieval settlement located deep within the fabulous Gorges du
Tarn. In recent years it has been developed as one of the premier tourist
"honeypots" of the Cévennes National Park. Students are required to
map these developments as a springboard towards assessing the positive and
negative impacts of tourists and tourism on the village. Finally, they work
towards devising a management plan for the area which takes many of the
conflicting interests into account.
Rural deprivation.
Quality of life in a remote
rural area is evaluated using a composite Index. A range of indicators are
used, including household amenities, services, and economic opportunities.
Map skills are also employed as part of an overall "site
evaluation" of a selection of local settlements. Students are
encouraged to reflect on their own perception of what constitutes
"deprivation".
The Pont du Gard - Managing Tourism.
The Pont du Gard is one of France's most famous national monuments and it attracts in excess of 1.2 million visitors per annum but management at the site is limited. This unit investigates visitor pressure and impact. Current site developments are evaluated and management issues drawn out. The concept of carrying capacity is introduced: students must decide if this is being exceeded. The unit concludes with the design of management strategies to alleviate the problems created by tourist pressure at the Pont du gard.
People Weather and Climate..
A study of weather and climate within a distinctive mountain environment. This unit offers a number of options or projects for students to follow. The first a study of microclimate within a conifer wood introduces the use of meteorological equipment. Longer term patterns and weather phenomena specific to the mountain zone are examined in the second option. The use of Information Technology is encouraged here. The final project focuses on the effects of weather and climate upon local people and those visiting the area.
Microclimates and land use in the Souteyran valley
It is possible to carry out a number of interesting investigations into microclimates at the Centre and in the valley examining the influence of buildings, woodland, low vegetation cover and aspect. These can be done as a cross-valley transect and then compared to the weather station at the
Centre. This effectively isolates any natural daily variations and allows the study to focus on changes due to site location.
The study will enable an investigation to be carried out that examines the affect of climate on people and land use. Studying microclimates here will be different from the more standard urban area so it will be beneficial for examination purposes.
An investigation into a soil catena on Mont Lozère
This unit has been designed to enable the studying of the soil catena on Mont Lozère and relate the information gathered to present land use and land capability. There is also the potential to extend the study to include soil catenas from other area visited during the week, viz. limestone, schist, & coastal areas.
The soils studied in this unit are found at semi-natural sites as
these are the ones most often available for study. This unit will concentrate on the field identification of soils, but it should be stressed that it is more important, in an educational context, to understand the processes operating within a soil.