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Landscape patterns and agriculture : Modelling the long-term effects of human practices on Pinus sylvestris spatial dynamics (Causse Mejean, France)

Caplat, Paul LU ; Lepart, Jacques and Marty, Pascal (2006) In Landscape Ecology 21(5). p.657-670
Abstract

This paper focuses on understanding human impact on landscape. Both ecological and human practices are analysed as interacting processes. An agent-based model integrating biological and historical knowledge is used to analyse the pattern of Scots Pine encroachment in a French Mediterranean upland. In the STIPA model, pine trees are autonomous agents and a cellular automaton simulates land-use. We test the effects of shifting cultivation on tree establishment at the landscape scale. This allows us to understand how agropastoral practices patterned this area from the 17th to 19th century: simulations show the importance of shifting cultivation in limiting woodland progression. Fallow duration linked to environmental heterogeneity is a... (More)

This paper focuses on understanding human impact on landscape. Both ecological and human practices are analysed as interacting processes. An agent-based model integrating biological and historical knowledge is used to analyse the pattern of Scots Pine encroachment in a French Mediterranean upland. In the STIPA model, pine trees are autonomous agents and a cellular automaton simulates land-use. We test the effects of shifting cultivation on tree establishment at the landscape scale. This allows us to understand how agropastoral practices patterned this area from the 17th to 19th century: simulations show the importance of shifting cultivation in limiting woodland progression. Fallow duration linked to environmental heterogeneity is a significant factor for explaining pine dynamics and landscape patterning at the scale of the study region. We put this result in perspective with current rangeland management policies that often consider grazing as the most relevant tool for open landscape maintenance. Our results also show the importance of taking into account time-scale effects when linking landscape patterns to agricultural systems.

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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Agriculture, Bioscene, French Mediterranean, Grazing, Land-use, Landscape history, Multi-agent systems, Rangeland, Scots Pine, Shifting cultivation, Time-lag
in
Landscape Ecology
volume
21
issue
5
pages
14 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:33746116851
ISSN
0921-2973
DOI
10.1007/s10980-005-4430-1
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
9f948cde-bf7d-4ef2-bcd3-d4429d204cbe
date added to LUP
2016-04-22 08:41:23
date last changed
2022-01-30 02:49:48
@article{9f948cde-bf7d-4ef2-bcd3-d4429d204cbe,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper focuses on understanding human impact on landscape. Both ecological and human practices are analysed as interacting processes. An agent-based model integrating biological and historical knowledge is used to analyse the pattern of Scots Pine encroachment in a French Mediterranean upland. In the STIPA model, pine trees are autonomous agents and a cellular automaton simulates land-use. We test the effects of shifting cultivation on tree establishment at the landscape scale. This allows us to understand how agropastoral practices patterned this area from the 17th to 19th century: simulations show the importance of shifting cultivation in limiting woodland progression. Fallow duration linked to environmental heterogeneity is a significant factor for explaining pine dynamics and landscape patterning at the scale of the study region. We put this result in perspective with current rangeland management policies that often consider grazing as the most relevant tool for open landscape maintenance. Our results also show the importance of taking into account time-scale effects when linking landscape patterns to agricultural systems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Caplat, Paul and Lepart, Jacques and Marty, Pascal}},
  issn         = {{0921-2973}},
  keywords     = {{Agriculture; Bioscene; French Mediterranean; Grazing; Land-use; Landscape history; Multi-agent systems; Rangeland; Scots Pine; Shifting cultivation; Time-lag}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{657--670}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Landscape Ecology}},
  title        = {{Landscape patterns and agriculture : Modelling the long-term effects of human practices on Pinus sylvestris spatial dynamics (Causse Mejean, France)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10980-005-4430-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10980-005-4430-1}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}