The Causses () are a group of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

x (700–1,200 m) in the Massif Central. They are bordered to the north-west by the

Limousin Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...

and the

Périgord Périgord ( , ; ; or ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is divided into f ...

uplands, and to the east by the Aubrac and the

Cévennes The Cévennes ( , ; ) is a cultural region and range of mountains in south-central France, on the south-east edge of the Massif Central. It covers parts of the '' départements'' of Ardèche, Gard, Hérault and Lozère. Rich in geographical, ...

. Large

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

gorges cut through the plateaux, such as the Tarn, Dourbie, Jonte, Lot, Vis, and

Aveyron Aveyron (; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron (river), Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyro ...

. ''Causse'' is an

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

word meaning "limestone plateau" coming from the latin word calx meaning limestone or chalk. The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

list in 2011, because of the region's extensive and continuous use of Mediterranean pastoral systems and their testimony to the traditional methods of

transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...

. Since at least the Bronze Age, the Causses were used for sheep and cattle droving, and in the Middle Ages, religious orders established in the area, building irrigation and road networks that are still used by farmers today. Characteristics of the region are large farm complexes made out of limestone and long, low stone buildings (often more than 10 meters in length) called ''les Jasses'' which are used to house sheep in the winter. Arranged from the north-west to the south-east, the following plateaus are found: * the ** the Causse de Martel ( Lot) ** the Causse de Gramat (Lot) ** the Causse de Limogne (Lot) ** the Causse corrèzien (

Corrèze Corrèze (; ) is a département in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on the bo ...

) * the Grands Causses: ** the Causse du Comtal (

) ** the

Causse de Sévérac The Causses () are a group of limestone plateaux (700–1,200 m) in the Massif Central. They are bordered to the north-west by the Limousin (région), Limousin and the Périgord uplands, and to the east by the Aubrac and the Cévennes. Large river ...

(Aveyron) ** the Causse de Sauveterre (

Lozère Lozère (; ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the ...

) ** the

Causse Méjean Causse Méjean is a limestone plateau in the Lozère department, in southern France. It is a part of Causses and Cévennes, The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site. Communes Causse ...

(Lozère) ** the Causse Noir (Aveyron) ** the Causse Rouge (Aveyron) ** the Causse du Larzac (Aveyron and

Hérault Hérault (; , ) is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault (river), Hérault River, its Prefectures in France, prefecture is M ...

) * notable smaller causses (“petits causses”) nearby ** Causse de Mende ** Causse de Blandas ** Causse de Changefège ** Causse-Bégon ** Causse de Campestre ** Causse d'Aumelas ** Causse de la Selle Many sites on the Causses are included in

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

, notably the '' Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses'' on the Larzac, causse Méjean, and Causse Noir plateaux. Causse de Sauveterre doline.jpg, A doline in the causse de Sauveterre, Lozère. Géoscope- Limestone (Beige) Oxfordian 4361.JPG, Beige Limestone from the Causse in

References

* Flora of the Massif Central

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110411152558/http://www.gorgesdutarn.net/?lang=en Landforms of Aveyron Landforms of Lot (department) Landforms of Lozère Plateaus of Metropolitan France Landforms of Corrèze {{Occitanie-geo-stub

References

Related articles

External links