Conservation Landscapes

Protection of mountain environments reflects their ecological importance and vulnerability. The Alps contain three national parks—Vanoise (1963), Écrins (1973), and Mercantour (1979)—covering over 2,500 square kilometers of core protected areas. These parks preserve representative Alpine ecosystems while allowing traditional activities like pastoralism. Regional nature parks add another layer of protection, balancing conservation with sustainable development.

The Pyrenees National Park, created in 1967, protects 457 square kilometers along the Spanish border. Its creation reflected both conservation needs and diplomatic cooperation, as it adjoins Spain's Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. Together, they form a transboundary protected area recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Beyond formal protection, European designations add conservation layers. Natura 2000 sites cover significant portions of both ranges, protecting specific habitats and species while allowing compatible human activities. The Alps and Pyrenees both feature in the Alpine and Pyrenean Conventions—international agreements promoting sustainable development and environmental protection.

Conservation challenges mount as climate change accelerates and visitor pressure intensifies. Protected area managers struggle to balance preservation with access, traditional uses with wilderness values. Ecosystem connectivity becomes crucial as species shift ranges in response to warming. The mountains serve as laboratories for conservation strategies applicable worldwide, demonstrating both successes and ongoing challenges in protecting spectacular landscapes while supporting human communities.

The geographic and natural features of the French mountains create the foundation for all life—human and wild—in these vertical worlds. Understanding these physical systems helps us appreciate the delicate balances that sustain mountain ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. As we'll explore in following chapters, human history in these mountains reflects continuous adaptation to these powerful natural forces, creating unique cultures shaped by stone, ice, and altitude.# Cultural Heritage and Communities

The human story of the French mountains stretches back millennia, woven into the very fabric of the landscape. These vertical worlds have shaped unique cultures, languages, and ways of life that persist despite centuries of political change and modernization. Understanding the cultural heritage of Alpine and Pyrenean communities reveals not just historical curiosity but living traditions that continue to define mountain identity and offer lessons for sustainable living in challenging environments.