A forest covering 1,500 hectares on the Provençal side of Mount Ventoux is made up of Atlas cedar trees, which originally came from the Atlas Mountains in Algeria. These trees were planted in 1861 by foresters as part of an effort to reforest the mountain, which had lost most of its vegetation over centuries due to cutting and grazing. Over time, the cedar forest has grown and spread naturally across the surrounding limestone grasslands without the need for further human intervention or development projects. The Atlas cedar is known for its ability to resist drought and reduce the growth of flammable underbrush, which could be beneficial in the fight against global warming, but it also poses a challenge to the biodiversity of open, grassy environments. The decision to plant Atlas cedar seeds from Algeria came at a time when a law had been passed to ban grazing, which had been a major cause of the mountain's environmental decline. The first cedar seedlings took root and adapted to the limestone soil and the unique climate of Mount Ventoux, marking the start of the first large-scale cedar plantations in France. A study conducted in 1988 on the communal forest of Bédoin found that the cedar trees were growing at a high density, with 1,700 saplings per hectare. This high density has significant effects on the surrounding ecosystem, as the cedars prevent the growth of grassy vegetation and underbrush, which are particularly flammable in the Mediterranean climate. As droughts become more frequent in Provence, the resilience of the Atlas cedar has become even more important. The species is native to a North African mountain climate characterized by large temperature variations and frequent water shortages, making it well-suited to withstand the increasingly dry conditions in southern France. However, the continued growth of the cedar forest is reducing the habitats available for plants and animals that depend on open environments, many of which are rare or fragile. This situation highlights the complex balance between the expansion of forests and the need to preserve open landscapes. The spread of the cedar forest also limits the growth of herbaceous vegetation that is highly flammable, thereby reducing the risk of devastating wildfires in an area that is especially vulnerable to such dangers during dry seasons. The history of the cedar forest began with an imperial decision and a bold attempt at reforestation. More than 150 years after the first plantings, Mount Ventoux still shows the lasting impact of this choice, with a forest that continues to grow and expand on its own, independent of human influence.