Forest, heathlands
The Condroz-Ardennes, a small densely wooded band 4-5 km wide, that follows the valley and pre-empts the Condroz. These are wooded plateaux cut into lots of small valleys where the streams rush down to the Meuse. The subsoil is schist and sandstone. Large clearings are split between pasture and cultivated fields. This original region along the Meuse is often confused with the Condroz. It can be differentiated by its particularly sloping forest area.
The villages of Ben-Ahin, Tihange, La Neuville, Ombret, Hermalle or Clermont once lived off the forest.
The forest was exploited with regular clearing cycles; charcoal production; slash and burn farming, grazing and the planting of shrubs. The grassland that we see in this area is the result of disruption to the ecosystem caused by this intense forestry activities.
