G Balent, INRA-SAD
M Duru, INRA-SAD

Publication Date

1989

Description

In the Central Pyrenees, the decline of agriculture has led to the transformation of fields into grasslands. The study of the dynamic of this secundary succession has shown the import­ance of residual soil fertility and grazing pressure on the botan­ical composition of plots (Balent & Duru, 1984). The actuals trends of evolution consist in a general decrease of soil fertility and, an irregular distribution of grazing pressure, the free-ran­ging animals selecting, during winter and early spring, the sites of higher fertility (Balent, 1986). From the mineral and botanical compositions of the veg­etation, we examine the interest of three traditional manage­ment practices (manuring, winter and early spring grazing, cutting frequency) to improve the fertility of the grasslands.

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Interest of Traditional Practices to Improve Grassland Fertility in the Central Pyrenees

In the Central Pyrenees, the decline of agriculture has led to the transformation of fields into grasslands. The study of the dynamic of this secundary succession has shown the import­ance of residual soil fertility and grazing pressure on the botan­ical composition of plots (Balent & Duru, 1984). The actuals trends of evolution consist in a general decrease of soil fertility and, an irregular distribution of grazing pressure, the free-ran­ging animals selecting, during winter and early spring, the sites of higher fertility (Balent, 1986). From the mineral and botanical compositions of the veg­etation, we examine the interest of three traditional manage­ment practices (manuring, winter and early spring grazing, cutting frequency) to improve the fertility of the grasslands.