Mountain Mediterranean landscape evolution caused by the abandonment of traditional primary activities: a study of the Spanish Central Pyrenees

Lasanta, T.; Vicente‐Serrano, Sergio M.; Prats, José María Cuadrat

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2004.11.001

Cited by 324 publications

(217 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…to identify drivers of farm evolution. Similar approaches have been used to analyse land-use changes as a consequence of evolution of agricultural activities (Rasul et al, 2004;Lasanta-Martínez et al, 2005). A key issue in discriminant analysis is the selection of independent explanatory variables, which need to be normally distributed and their means and variances not correlated (Hair et al, 2006).…”

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%

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

García-Martínez

Olaizola

Bernués

2009

Animal

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%

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

García-Martínez

Olaizola

Bernués

2009

Animal

126

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“…Changes in grazing practices, i.e. a decrease in extensive livestock practices and a trend towards an increase in the number of cattle and a decrease in the number of sheep in extant herds because of the crisis in transhumance systems (Luick 1998;Lasanta-Martínez et al 2005), have led to the abandonment of grazing activities in some areas mostly used for sheep herding (Vicente-Serrano 2004). On the other hand, rural abandonment and an increase in forested areas (Lasanta-Martínez et al 2005) have indirectly increased wild boar populations because boars find more abundant and persistent shelters from hunting (Herrero et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does wild boar rooting affect livestock grazing areas in alpine grasslands?

Bueno

Barrio²,

García‐González³

et al. 2010

Eur J Wildl Res

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Interactions between traditional livestock management practices and wildlife activities are important in the conservation of many mountain ecosystems including the summer rangelands in the Spanish Central Pyrenees, where rooting by wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a large disturbance that can reduce the amount of area available to grazing livestock. This study explored the likely impact of wild boar rooting on Pyrenean grasslands. It quantified the extent of wild boar rooting in livestock grazing areas and determined whether wild boars selected or avoided areas depending on the type of livestock and stocking rates. Wild boar rooting affected 16% of livestock grazing area and occurred in sites that were grazed by cattle, rather than by sheep. In addition, a preference for areas that had intermediate stocking rates was found. The relationship between the increase in the number of wild boars and trends in livestock management suggests that the extent of wild boar rooting will increase especially in cattle grazing areas, and therefore, the area available for cattle grazing in Pyrenean mountain rangelands would decrease significantly.

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“…This progressive change due to livestock activities has developed a seminatural system with high ecological and pastoral values in a dynamic trade-off based on plant-herbivore interactions (Olff & Ritchie, 1998;Austrheim & Eriksson, 2001;Fillat et al, 2008). More recently, livestock grazers have changed in European mountain systems from almost exclusive sheep herds to comparatively higher numbers of cattle heads (Macdonald et al, 2000;Lasanta-Martínez et al, 2005). Alongside with this trend, a sharp decline of extensive husbandry has occurred in the last decades in favour of more productive intensive farming systems (Luick, 1998;Körner, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alongside with this trend, a sharp decline of extensive husbandry has occurred in the last decades in favour of more productive intensive farming systems (Luick, 1998;Körner, 1999). In particular, this last trend has been related with drastic changes in the ecosystem structure, such as shrub encroachment and forest recolonization (Lasanta-Martínez et al, 2005;Lasanta-Martínez et al, 2006), what in turn may increase fire events (Carcaillet et al, 2009), reduce biodiversity (Helm et al, 2006), and boost some forest animal populations beyond an equilibrium threshold (Laiolo et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of wild boar rooting on ecological and pastoral values of alpine pyrenean grasslands

Bueno¹,

Barrio²,

García‐González³

et al. 2011

Pirineos

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Mountain Mediterranean landscape evolution caused by the abandonment of traditional primary activities: a study of the Spanish Central Pyrenees

Cited by 324 publications

References 24 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

Does wild boar rooting affect livestock grazing areas in alpine grasslands?

Assessment of wild boar rooting on ecological and pastoral values of alpine pyrenean grasslands

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