Re: garrigue vs maquis

On 10 Apr 2008 at 11:59, N Sterman wrote:
> What is the difference between Garrigue and Maquis?

Here's a further contribution, Nan. 

Maquis: If fires in the evergreen forest are too frequent to allow natural regeneration of the trees, or man removes them for timber, then degraded vegetation of low shrubs (2 – 4m high) occurs.  This is called maquis and is usually dominated by Cistus spp., Pistacia lentiscus, Rosmarinus officinalis, Juniperus spp., lavenders, Arbutus and other ericaceous plants.

Garrigue: Overgrazing and exploitation of the maquis shrub community reduces it to an open vegetation of low, small shrubs (eg species of Satureja, Euphorbia and Thymus and including most of those of the maquis), many bulbs and annual species.  This community, garrigue, is a mass of flowers in the spring, but they soon go over to become parched and dusty, with the annuals and above-ground parts of the bulbous plants dead and crisp.

>From an article by Stephen Jury: Why is lavender such a good mediterranean genus?  The Lavender Bag 14 November 2000.
 
Joan Head
Editor, The Lavender Bag
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