Premium
Categorization of grazing systems to aid the development of land use policy in Aragon, Spain
Author(s) -
Barrantes O.,
Ferrer C.,
Reiné R.,
Broca A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.2008.00666.x
Subject(s) - livestock , grazing , typology , geography , forage , rangeland , agroforestry , natural resource , land use , agricultural science , environmental resource management , forestry , agronomy , ecology , biology , environmental science , archaeology
Ruminant livestock depends primarily on forage and grazing resources from both natural pastures and from cultivated land. Low‐input large‐scale grazing systems constitute a substantial part of what is termed High Nature Value farmland in Europe. Developing a typology of categories of livestock systems within a region is an important step in understanding land uses that involve ruminant livestock systems and their use of feed resources, and in appraising policy options. This study developed a typology based on the municipalities of the region of Aragon in the north‐east of Spain on the basis of the feed resources for ruminant livestock. A clustering analysis was applied to the following three types of criteria: (i) crop types; (ii) vegetation types of uncultivated land and (iii) stocking rate of dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep and goats. A total of thirty‐nine variables were used. The cluster methodology allowed relatively homogeneous groups of municipalities, termed territories, with differentiating characteristics to be obtained. A Geographic Information System was applied to locate spatially the territories. From the twelve territories identified, it was concluded that there was a low use of natural pastures and high use of resources of cultivated origin in livestock systems in Aragon.