Agricultural land-use change and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) colonization in Pyrenean landscapes: an interdisciplinary case study

Anne Mottet (1) , Marie-Pierre Julien (2, 3) , Gerard Balent (2) , Annick Gibon (2)

1 IDELE - Institut de l'élevage
2 DYNAFOR - Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural
3 GEODE - Géographie de l'environnement

Changes in agricultural land use are responsible for significant modifications in mountain landscapes. This study is part of an interdisciplinary research on the processes and consequences of spontaneous afforestation of Pyrenean landscapes by ash, and the possibilities for its management. We address the relationships between vegetation dynamics and land-use change from the combination of an agricultural study of change in farm management and an ecological study of grassland colonization by ash. In the framework of a village case study, we characterized parcels management and land-use histories, and analyzed the dynamics of the composition of grassland vegetation communities. From a joint analysis of the results obtained in each discipline, we discuss the limitations and comple-mentarities of the two approaches for the interdisciplinary assessment of the afforestation process.

Mots clés: Land-use change; farmer's management practices; grazing intensity; reference model; biomass removal; biomass production

Domaines: Géographie

Anne Mottet, Marie-Pierre Julien, Gerard Balent, Annick Gibon. Agricultural land-use change and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) colonization in Pyrenean landscapes: an interdisciplinary case study. Environmental Modelling and Assessment, 2007, 12, pp.293-302. ⟨10.1007/s10666-006-9064-4⟩. ⟨hal-01360882⟩