A 2021 dataset from the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières defines massif boundaries under French mountain law. It covers municipalities in the Nièvre department (58) and surrounding areas, distinguishing between mountain areas and adjacent foothills or plains. The data supports spatial planning projects by accounting for interactions between highland and lowland regions.
Use Cases
- Delineating areas eligible for mountain-specific policies based on altitude and slope criteria
- Analyzing the continuity of massifs for spatial planning projects based on the concept of interactions between highlands and plains
- Identifying municipalities characterized by shortened vegetation periods based on the described climatic conditions
- Mapping areas where mechanization is limited due to steep slopes exceeding 20%
Strengths
- Based on official French legal texts defining mountain areas
- Distinguishes multiple geographical units by the intensity of their mountain character
Limitations
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download
- Last updated 2021-05-04 00:00:00; freshness should be verified
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
Provenance
- Source
- BUREAU DE RECHERCHES GÉOLOGIQUES ET MINIÈRES
- Freshness
- Last updated 2021-05-04 00:00:00
- Geography
- Nièvre (58) and neighboring departments, France