Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps
Landscape closing due to the decline in agricultural activity is considered to be a major problem in the Alps. Abondance Valley provides a good example of this phenomenon and is also representative of a paradox commonly found in the Northern French Alps: the mountainsides and alpine pastures are sti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institut de Géographie Alpine
2008-09-01
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| Series: | Revue de Géographie Alpine |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/rga/575 |
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| author | Olivier Camacho Laurent Dobremez Alain Capillon |
| author_facet | Olivier Camacho Laurent Dobremez Alain Capillon |
| author_sort | Olivier Camacho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Landscape closing due to the decline in agricultural activity is considered to be a major problem in the Alps. Abondance Valley provides a good example of this phenomenon and is also representative of a paradox commonly found in the Northern French Alps: the mountainsides and alpine pastures are still used, whereas they are becoming increasingly afforested. Environmental conditions play a major role in the localisation of agricultural land uses, but they are not sufficient to explain why pastures still in use are being invaded by shrub. Even if cutting makes it possible to effectively control the encroachment by woody species, this is not true for uncut pastures where grazing is not able to keep up with grass production. This situation is repeated every year and is the likely cause of the colonisation by woody species. To ensure their forage system and to simplify their work, farmers tend to establish grazing units that are oversized in relation to the needs of their animals. They implement compensatory practices that consist of mechanical maintenance as a complement to grazing to limit the dynamics of woody species. These labour-intensive practices are not used on all of the pastures. The analysis of farmers’ practices by agronomists is therefore a useful complement to studies of physical and socio-economic environments, at the level of the grazed field as well as at that of the valley as a whole. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-15c8437c9f464c429472adebb8a2c9c3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0035-1121 1760-7426 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2008-09-01 |
| publisher | Institut de Géographie Alpine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue de Géographie Alpine |
| spelling | doaj-art-15c8437c9f464c429472adebb8a2c9c32025-01-10T15:55:45ZengInstitut de Géographie AlpineRevue de Géographie Alpine0035-11211760-74262008-09-019638910010.4000/rga.575Shrub encroachment in pastures in the AlpsOlivier CamachoLaurent DobremezAlain CapillonLandscape closing due to the decline in agricultural activity is considered to be a major problem in the Alps. Abondance Valley provides a good example of this phenomenon and is also representative of a paradox commonly found in the Northern French Alps: the mountainsides and alpine pastures are still used, whereas they are becoming increasingly afforested. Environmental conditions play a major role in the localisation of agricultural land uses, but they are not sufficient to explain why pastures still in use are being invaded by shrub. Even if cutting makes it possible to effectively control the encroachment by woody species, this is not true for uncut pastures where grazing is not able to keep up with grass production. This situation is repeated every year and is the likely cause of the colonisation by woody species. To ensure their forage system and to simplify their work, farmers tend to establish grazing units that are oversized in relation to the needs of their animals. They implement compensatory practices that consist of mechanical maintenance as a complement to grazing to limit the dynamics of woody species. These labour-intensive practices are not used on all of the pastures. The analysis of farmers’ practices by agronomists is therefore a useful complement to studies of physical and socio-economic environments, at the level of the grazed field as well as at that of the valley as a whole.https://journals.openedition.org/rga/575land uselandscape closingmountain farmingfarm practicepasture |
| spellingShingle | Olivier Camacho Laurent Dobremez Alain Capillon Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps Revue de Géographie Alpine land use landscape closing mountain farming farm practice pasture |
| title | Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps |
| title_full | Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps |
| title_fullStr | Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps |
| title_short | Shrub encroachment in pastures in the Alps |
| title_sort | shrub encroachment in pastures in the alps |
| topic | land use landscape closing mountain farming farm practice pasture |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/rga/575 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oliviercamacho shrubencroachmentinpasturesinthealps AT laurentdobremez shrubencroachmentinpasturesinthealps AT alaincapillon shrubencroachmentinpasturesinthealps |