In the triangle between Lodève, Bédarieux and Clermont-l’Hérault we can see the different geologic layers of literally all geologic ages of our planet Earth. We go back from Quaternary to Tertiary , to Jurassic Ages and back to even more previous ages. This fact makes the area most interesting for geologists from all over the world. And man has exploited up to today nature’s treasuries: the prehistoric copper mines at Cabrières, the bauxite mines close to Bédarieux, the Barytine occurrences in Villeneuvette, the uran mines in Le Bosc, the dolomite gravel pits in Carlencas, mineral oil in Gabian and last but not least the pink marble of Mourèze. And not to forget the fossils (Trilobites, Ammonites, Planobres and Stegocephales), which were mainly found in the jurassic horizons of the Pic de Vissou, 2 kilometers off the Parc des Courtinals.

Climatically Mourèze is still influenced by the Mediterranean Sea with an annual average of 2800 hours of sunshine as well as with plenty of rain and sometimes extremely strong wind gusts. 20 kilometers further north the climate changes due to altitude and distance to the sea und that is the reason for the sudden change of vegetation.

The Rocks of Mourèze offer due to the visible and permanent erosion a very poor soil mainly consisting of dolomite sands. This allows only a rather specific vegetation: Rosemary, Thyme, Juniper, strawflowers, Lavender, Arbusiers, box trees, several species of pine trees ( Maritime Pine; Parasol Pine and Saltman Pine). And surrounding all are the evergreen Stone Oaks. Although there are fewer minerals in the soil of the World of Rocks than in the “Garrigue” ( steppe) around Mourèze, still we face a richer and more genuine vegetation. The vegetation is evergreen and approximately 10% of all plants are aromatic.

Philippe Martin; the creator of the Nature Trail in the Parc des Courtinals has listed 15 different types of orchids in the park. All the plants of the botanic trail with 50 known species are representing the botany of the whole Cirque and they grow without any human support except for the 2 yucca trees at the entrance of the park.

After centuries as grazing grounds and base for the char coalers the landscape is now taken over by the vegetation again and keeps on spreading out across the complete Cirque. When in 1932 Gaston COMBARNOUS, the untiring explorer of the rock landscape took a photograph of the very first tree in the Cirque , he has already foreseen the rising danger for the complete Cirque by the intense spreading of the vegetation. Not only in regard of trees complicating archaeological research and some dolomite sites vanishing in a green abundance, but the very realistic danger of forest fire could become immanent. The Cirque of Mourèze is especially endangered, as no specific preventive actions have been taken so far.