Quand la forêt s’impose comme une évidence paysagère pour l’habitant

The purpose of this article is to examine the special role of the forest in the delicate relationship between inhabitants and landscapes when the latter are a major but non-exclusive component of the living environments of the former. Based on the results of two series of surveys carried out in the Médoc (Avensan) and the Bassin d’Arcachon (Andernos-les-Bains) regions, the aim is to show how, through its all-encompassing nature, the forest as a landscape constitutes a framework for the living space of its inhabitants and how, when experienced from within, it gives rise to the emergence of landscape experiences with specific modalities placing the individual at the heart of the landscape (landscape immersion). The very strong attachment that binds these inhabitants to their forest landscapes is commensurate with the vital functions they attribute to them and which these landscapes address. Through the landscape experiences that it generates, the forest at times constitutes a breathing space and at others a refuge, thus contributing to the quality of life and well-being of its inhabitants