In resonance with Raoul Ries’ portfolio “Còrrec Sec” published this September 9 in “L’oeil de la Photographie”, I would like to testify at my level to my own observations (which are in no way scientific). I had a childhood like that experienced by Marcel Pagnol (French playwright). I grew up (with my friends) in the Provençal hills of my childhood village (Solliès-Toucas, 83). Since then I have never stopped observing my hills. Not in a scientific way as I wrote above, no, but always with infinite tenderness. I have so many good memories…
From the mid-80s, I noticed a pretty clear change! Winters have become much drier (and warmer). Then years later I saw the hills, insidiously, seemingly nothing, slowly becoming stripped of some of their trees. To my great astonishment, the most distressed trees today are the Aleppo pines. This challenges me frankly, because it was not the image I had of this conifer. I thought that the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) would be the last to resist this drier climate which seems to be setting in… It has proliferated so much over the centuries in our region that it seemed indestructible. Well no! The oaks, from which the Aleppo pine has confiscated so many territories, seem to be much more resistant than it.
Frederic Joncour
