Causses
Causse is the French name for the large limestone plateau at 700 to 1200 m altitude in the French Massif Central.
They are bounded to the north and west by the mountains of Limousin and the Périgord and the east by the Aubrac and the Cévennes. The Causses are in the Cevennes National Park, as well as in the Regional Natural Park Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park Causses. The individual Causses are separated by deep, steep gorges and river valleys.
The Causses are by their stark beauty and by the extremely low population density of the most impressive landscapes of France. The term plateau, however, is deceptive - the relief is almost always undulating with sometimes bizarre rock formations, such as the Chaos de Montpellier- le -Vieux. Just as these rock formations, many of the landforms of the Causses by karst phenomena such as caves and natural wells (French Aven ) are marked. Known examples of such shafts are the Aven Armand and the Chasm of Padirac.
The Causses are very poor in water - but it's not because that there is little rainfall, but because of the rain, as in most karst areas of the prevailing limestone can not be retained, but it trickles almost directly in the ground. Accordingly, large areas act steppe or even desert- like. If in a depression ( sinkhole ) exceptionally fertile soil has accumulated, then intensive agriculture is operated on often tiny areas here - it creates a strong contrast to the rocky, barren environment.
The few valleys, where can accumulate because of a clayey subsoil water (Fr. Lavognes ), are used as cattle troughs. The rare natural water sources were once very valuable - often located in the vicinity of such source a homestead. Farms, which are far from such sources were previously dependent on cisterns or laborious water transports. Only in recent decades almost all settlements are connected to a modern water supply.
Due to the sparse tree growth a peculiar, almost wood- less architecture has developed on the Grands Causses. The function of exposed beams and trusses will be met by stone vault - even the roofs are covered with stone slabs.
The Causses of north -west to south -east:
- The Causses of Quercy in the department of Lot: Causse de Martel
- Causse de Gramat
- Causse de Limogne
- The Grands Causses: Causse du Comtal (Aveyron )
- Causse de Sévérac (Aveyron )
- Causse de Sauveterre ( Lozère)
- Causse Méjean ( Lozère), with 340 km ² area of the largest of the Causses
- Causse Noir (Aveyron, Lozère and Gard)
- Causse du Larzac Plateau du Larzac or (Aveyron and Hérault)