The causse mejan: changing relationships between agriculture, environment and society within a French national park

The effects of modern agriculture on the environment, and the agrarian over-exploitation of natural resources, have been well documented. This paper presents an alternative scenario more akin to the decoupling of agriculture from the environment, and the impact this is having on both biological dive...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Landscape research 1999-07, Vol.24 (2), p.141-165
Main Author: O'Rourke, Eileen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
agriculture
biodiversity
culture
nature
nature conservation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The effects of modern agriculture on the environment, and the agrarian over-exploitation of natural resources, have been well documented. This paper presents an alternative scenario more akin to the decoupling of agriculture from the environment, and the impact this is having on both biological diversity and landscape interpretation. By taking the case study of the Causse Méjan, an isolated plateau within a French National Park, the historic and contemporary relationship between agriculture, environment and society there is examined, and questions are raised regarding the future role of agriculture and conservation in managing this territory. The retreat of traditional agriculture and the resultant 'undoing' of the pastoralist landscape expose the links between cultural diversity and natural diversity, along with the multiple social identities and meanings attached to the landscape. It is argued that the power of the image is today critical to social expectations of desirable 'future natures'.
ISSN:0142-6397
1469-9710
DOI:10.1080/01426399908706556