Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Permanent meadows are the base of the fodder resources and also provide environmental services (MAP France, 2002). The function of fodder production is no longer solely to ensure bulk agricultural production. It must also allow the development of livestock products of good quality, contribute to environmental protection, the quality of the landscape and ensure a viable economic activity in the rural areas. These areas have decreased greatly (from 1 million ha at the beginning of the century (Lapeyronie, 1982) to less than 300,000 ha in 2000), in particular in the semi-arid zones at high altitude; however they contribute very effectively to natural diversity and the fight against desertification (Faye & Alary, 2001). The lack of a global solution to agricultural development and the intensification of production in certain sectors (cultivation of cereals) have induced a continued loss of meadow areas. This paper is the first study of the diversity of production systems comprising natural meadows in a small area of Algeria on a randomly selected sample of farms.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Operating Systems of the Meadows in Semi-Arid Region of Algeria
Permanent meadows are the base of the fodder resources and also provide environmental services (MAP France, 2002). The function of fodder production is no longer solely to ensure bulk agricultural production. It must also allow the development of livestock products of good quality, contribute to environmental protection, the quality of the landscape and ensure a viable economic activity in the rural areas. These areas have decreased greatly (from 1 million ha at the beginning of the century (Lapeyronie, 1982) to less than 300,000 ha in 2000), in particular in the semi-arid zones at high altitude; however they contribute very effectively to natural diversity and the fight against desertification (Faye & Alary, 2001). The lack of a global solution to agricultural development and the intensification of production in certain sectors (cultivation of cereals) have induced a continued loss of meadow areas. This paper is the first study of the diversity of production systems comprising natural meadows in a small area of Algeria on a randomly selected sample of farms.
