An integrated approach to studying the role of grazing livestock systems in the conservation of rangelands in a protected natural park (Sierra de Guara, Spain)

Bernués, A.; Riedel, José Luis; Asensio, M.A.; Alibés, Mireia Blanco; Sanz, A.; Revilla, R.; Casasús, I.

doi:10.1016/j.livprodsci.2005.05.023

Cited by 84 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…However, Teruel et al (1995) described a process of competence of tourism in the neighbouring valleys of the Pyrenees. This is caused by the high opportunity cost of family labour (Bernué s et al, 2005), partly explained by the relative low prices of agricultural commodities (Strijker, 2005), and the high opportunity cost of land for urbanisation (Olaizola, 1991). In the time interval of our study, at least in 30% of disappeared farms, farmers substituted completely agriculture with tourism activities; relationships between agriculture and other economic activities of the household will be further discussed in the following section.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But important changes have occurred since 1950, when modernisation of agriculture and the new economic and commercial relationships established between mountain and more favoured areas caused depopulation and a continuous reduction of livestock farming. Significant changes in land use were observed (Lasanta-Martínez et al, 2005) with large implications for the sustainability of grazing agro-ecosystems (Bernué s et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although tourism development is pointed out as a complementary economic activity for agricultural households in mountain areas (Flamant et al, 1999;Riedel et al, 2007), this is not always the case; for example, Teruel et al (1995) and Marin-Yaseli and Lasanta-Martínez (2003) described a process of competition rather than mutual benefit between tourism and farming activities in the Spanish Pyrenees. Moreover, tourism and urbanisation compete not only for land but also for labour, both contracted and family labour (Bernué s et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One fundamental aspect that explains the permanent disappearance of farming and subsequent abandonment of large pastoral areas in the Pyrenees is the lack of continuity of agricultural households (Bernué s et al, 2005;Riedel et al, 2007). Lack of continuity is directly related to the presence and number of descendants in the household, but other aspects are also involved.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trajectories of evolution and drivers of change in European mountain cattle farming systems

García-Martínez

Olaizola

Bernués

2009

Animal

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126

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In the last few decades, significant changes in livestock farming systems and land use were observed in European mountain areas with large implications for the sustainability of grazing agro-ecosystems. System dynamic studies become essential to understand these changes, identify the drivers involved and trying to anticipate what might happen in the future. The objectives of this study were as follows: (i) to analyse the main recent changes that occurred in mountain cattle farming in the Spanish Pyrenees; (ii) to typify diverse trajectories of evolution of these systems; and (iii) to establish drivers of change that might help understand the evolution of mountain agriculture. A constant sample of mountain cattle farms was analysed for the period 1990 to 2004. In total, 30% of farms have disappeared during this time interval. For the remaining farms, the most important general changes observed were as follows: increment of size; change of productive orientation from mixed beef-dairy to pure beef production; extensification of grazing management; reduction of family labour and increase of pluriactivity; reduction of unitary variable costs; and increase of labour productivity. After the elimination of common temporal effects between dates, multivariate techniques allowed for the identification of three patterns and six specific trajectories of evolution that are profiled in the text. Relationships between the patterns of evolution and other variables referring the farm, the household and the socio-economic environment were identified as drivers of change: (i) the specific location of the farm in relation to the capital village of the municipality and the evolution other sectors of the economy, in particular tourism; (ii) the size of the family labour, presence of successors and degree of dynamism of the farmer; and (iii) the initial orientation of production.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trajectories of evolution and drivers of change in European mountain cattle farming systems

García-Martínez

Olaizola

Bernués

2009

Animal

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126

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“…However, traditional livestock farming systems in these regions are experiencing an intensification process (Bernué s et al, 2005;Ryschawy et al, 2012), triggered by multiple economic and social factors, with the aim to increase productivity and improve the livelihoods of rural households (Udo et al, 2011). In Spain, many sheep farms have intensified the production system (Pardos et al, 2008) through the intensification of arable land (Stoate et al, 2001), reduction or abandonment of grazing, augmentation of indoor feeding (Oregui and Falagá n, 2006) and substitution of on-farm natural resources with external inputs (Riedel et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of self-sufficiency, productivity and diversification on the economic sustainability of farming systems with autochthonous sheep breeds in less favoured areas in Southern Europe

Ripoll-Bosch

Joy

Bernués

2014

Animal

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Traditional mixed livestock cereal-and pasture-based sheep farming systems in Europe are threatened by intensification and specialisation processes. However, the intensification process does not always yield improved economic results or efficiency. This study involved a group of farmers that raised an autochthonous sheep breed (Ojinegra de Teruel) in an unfavourable area of North-East Spain. This study aimed to typify the farms and elucidate the existing links between economic performance and certain sustainability indicators (i.e. productivity, self-sufficiency and diversification). Information was obtained through direct interviews with 30 farms (73% of the farmers belonging to the breeders association). Interviews were conducted in 2009 and involved 32 indicators regarding farm structure, management and economic performance. With a principal component analysis, three factors were obtained explaining 77.9% of the original variance. This factors were named as inputs/self-sufficiency, which included the use of on-farm feeds, the amount of variable costs per ewe and economic performance; productivity, which included lamb productivity and economic autonomy; and productive orientation, which included the degree of specialisation in production. A cluster analysis identified the following four groups of farms: high-input intensive system; low-input self-sufficient system; specialised livestock system; and diversified crops-livestock system. In conclusion, despite the large variability between and within groups, the following factors that explain the economic profitability of farms were identified: (i) high feed self-sufficiency and low variable costs enhance the economic performance (per labour unit) of the farms; (ii) animal productivity reduces subsidy dependence, but does not necessarily imply better economic performance; and (iii) diversity of production enhances farm flexibility, but is not related to economic performance.

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The Use of Goats Grazing to Restore Pastures Invaded by Shrubs and Avoid Desertification: A Preliminary Case Study in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains

2013

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Spanish mountains have been affected by the expansion of shrubs and forests since the mid‐20th century. This secondary succession in vegetation has some positive effects, but also drawbacks, such as an increase in fire risk, loss of diversity in land use, a reduction in landscape and cultural value, less water available in river channels and reservoirs, constraints on livestock farming, a reduced number of local species and loss of biodiversity. This paper analyses the potential for grazing domestic goats to help control the spread of several species of shrubs such as the common broom (Cytisus scoparius), red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and roses (Rosa sp.) that are commonly found in degraded pastures in the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain. Using experimental plots, the effects of two levels of stocking density (4·5 and 9 goats ha−1 y−1) are compared with other land management systems used in the region: burning, mechanical clearing and trimming. The combined use of goats with support from burning, clearing and trimming controls the spread of shrubs. The most efficient treatment was found with nine goats ha−1 y−1. Goat grazing also changes the distribution of shrubs, transforming a dense and continuous coverage into separate clumps and thereby enabling livestock to graze more easily. Maintaining a mixed structure of shrubs and pastures is the best treatment due to the low population density of the Cantabrian Mountains, as this enhances the biodiversity, controls fire risk and enriches the landscape; it also allows extensive livestock grazing as a main economic resource. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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An integrated approach to studying the role of grazing livestock systems in the conservation of rangelands in a protected natural park (Sierra de Guara, Spain)

Cited by 84 publications

References 13 publications

Trajectories of evolution and drivers of change in European mountain cattle farming systems

Trajectories of evolution and drivers of change in European mountain cattle farming systems

Role of self-sufficiency, productivity and diversification on the economic sustainability of farming systems with autochthonous sheep breeds in less favoured areas in Southern Europe

The Use of Goats Grazing to Restore Pastures Invaded by Shrubs and Avoid Desertification: A Preliminary Case Study in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains

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