Cartographie du potentiel de production de truffes en milieu naturel. Mise au point d'une méthode adaptée à la forêt privée du mont Ventoux

Tuber melanosporum, the black truffle, is an emblematic product of the mont Ventoux area where it has been cultivated since the beginning of the 19th century. However, just as elsewhere in France, production has decreased considerably over the last century, to the extent that it has become rare. The ONF and CRPF PACA have initiated a study aimed at compiling a guide to managing truffle cultivation in a natural environment. The overall goal is to devise tools and disseminate knowledge to encourage development of this production in natural environments by implementing silvicultural practises that produce truffles. The firm Alcina was entrusted with establishing a typology for the potential of truffle production in private forest stands. This article describes the original methodology used to develop this typology. By combining existing maps of pedological, bioclimatic and topographical data, the potential for truffle production was mapped out over an area of 26 500 ha. The accuracy and reliability of the map are such that, on the scale of the whole area, zones where restoration of natural truffle fields should be encouraged can be identified and, on the scale of a single property, areas where truffle production potential deserves to be further assessed can be pinpointed.