A mixed contribution of farming activity to environmental functions of a landscape : tool analysis proposal and example
Une contribution variée de l`activité agricole aux functions environnementales d`un territoire : proposition d`outil et exemple
Résumé
In areas with large part of farming land-uses, as in European countries, the evaluation of the links between farms activities and multifunctionality of landscape is a sensitive question. But, the determining elements of farms activities which contribute, or not, to the multifunctionality of a landscape are difficult to clearly identify and understand because of the closely-mixed forms of farms activities and land-uses in a landscape, linked to heterogeneity of biotic and abiotic conditions and to cultural, historical and economical elements. The main research works on this question treat more frequently of the farms and land-uses contributions to multifunctionality at farm scale, and less frequently at global landscape scale. Because of our agronomist experience, we centred our approach on functions the most directly linked to farm practices on land, such as environmental and productive functions. Then, opting for a geo-agronomist regard, looking on the whole farms land-uses and their lay-on in the landscape, some methodological proposals were elaborated and carried out. In practical terms, an exploratory case-study was developed on a small diversified livestock farming area and about its two sensitive environmental functions (preservation of upper water resources, preservation of mosaic pattern of vegetation). The main element emerging from this study is the differentiated and multi-form contribution of farms to this couple of environmental functions, inside the whole landscape and inside each farm area. This work shows the necessity to integer more closely in research and policy the spatial organisation of the whole farming activities, not only at farm scale but also at landscape scale, not only for professional activity but also for part-time activity, to understand and manage the adjustment of agriculture for multifunctionality of a landscape.