Field-proofing the terrestrial ecological network: representations and practices of farmers

Abstract

Biodiversity has dramatically decreased these past decades, mainly because of urban sprawl and the development of intensive agriculture. In France, this topic is addressed by the "terrestrial ecological network" (literally in French "green belts") measure, whose objective is to preserve or restore connectivities to allow animal or plant species to move from one habitat to another one. Different semi-natural elements localized in farming areas can contribute to terrestrial ecological networks: permanent grasslands, hedges, woods, fallows, sown grass strips, and isolated trees. The objective of this study is to understand farmers' practices and knowledge concerning these elements and the reasons of their practices. It is based on semi-structured interviews among a sample of 20 farmers, located in the suburban context of Grenoble (Valley of Gresivaudan). The results of this work show that semi-natural elements are differently integrated in farms depending on their nature, their localization and their function and usefulness. However, the integration of these elements in farms also depends on the territorial context of the farming area as well as on how farmers consider them from a heritage, aesthetic or sentimental point of view. Combining those criteria, we identify four different profiles of farmers' behavior concerning semi-natural elements.