Flore faune et forêt en Vallée du Pradal

Saint-Martial, Ardèche

Opening : All year round daily.

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Facing west-east in a triangle formed by Mont Gerbier de Jonc to the south, Suc de Sara to the north and the village and lake of Saint Martial to the west, the Pradal valley is protected by its unique access.

The River du Pradal, which meanders through the valley, flows into the Eysse, a tributary of the Eyrieux; trout thrive in its lively, well-oxygenated waters.
At the entrance to the valley, the Quatre Routes sawmill is a reminder of the sylvo-pastoral activity (forest and meadows) that has shaped this landscape for centuries.
According to historian Paul Camus, it was in 51 AD that the Roman emperor Claudius had part of the forest felled to drive out the Druids who were taking refuge there. It wasn't until the Carthusian monks from Bonnefoy Abbey settled here (1156, founded in 1084) that the current mantle of forest formed on the hubac (shady side) of the valley (Bois Nègre, Bois de Sevelas, etc.). This is the montane level, the domain of beech and fir.
It is on the adret (or adreyt, sunny side) that you can still see the chambas, terraces created and cultivated by man, some of which have become lost and covered in broom and shrubs as a result of agricultural abandonment.
Remarkable for its birdlife (kestrel, bunting, etc.) and flora, the Pradal valley is surrounded by two natural areas of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest (ZNIEFF). The valley is also part of the Mézenc volcanic saps area, which has been designated by the Ministry of the Environment since 1992.

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