Adaptability through spatial management A case study of livestock farms in the Massif Central, France

Abstract : This paper analyses the forms and adaptability of the assignment and management of farm territories in mountain areas of the French Massif Central, where permanent grassland and cattle farming predominate. The spatial management of 33 farms, and its links with cattle management and other farming system conditions, were investigated. In-depth analyses of four of those farms are presented. The case studies confirm the role of known factors influencing land use, but also reveal that more complex and interrelated factors, such as equipment, labour and buildings, affect the spatial management of farms. Spatial management emerges as a key element in the fodder security of the system.