Les friches agricoles herbacees et arbustives du sud-ouest quebecois etudiees par une approche ecologique et sociologique inspiree de l'ecologie du paysage.
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文摘
Herbaceous and shrubby abandoned farmlands in southwestern Quebec were studied by an approach inspired by landscape ecology concepts in order to propose management of the lands consequent with their ecological potential and the owners' intentions. The first part of the study attempts to gain a better comprehension of biological, abiotical, spacial and historical dynamics influencing these vegetation communities. The analysis of 36 abandoned lands in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region reveals the existence of six floristic communities where five of them compose an ecological group. These two ecological groups have their own dynamics; the first group is composed of old pastures on sloping, well-drained, stony soils, abandoned for over 20 years and currently dominated by tall shrub vegetation. The second group consists of a herbaceous vegetation, sometimes with low shrubs, on poorly drained soils, abandoned more recently and with a past agricultural use mostly under cultivation.;The second part of the study evaluates the owners' perception of abandoned lands. Using photographs, the perception of these lands (herbaceous and shrubby) and five other types of land use (hay field, corn field, pasture, woodlot and plantation) was collected based on ten criterions. Future landscape transformations and the perceived value of the abandoned farmland in the property were also studied. According to statistical analysis, abandoned land raised the most negative perception, followed by the cultivation of corn. Conversely, woodlots was the most appreciated land use. The analysis of possible future landscape transformations indicate an anticipation of intensification of land use where the abandoned farmlands could be converted into arable soils. According to the landowners, abandoned land is the least valuable (in opposition to the corn field) and the least appreciated (in opposition to woodlots) part of their property.;The third part of the study concerns the management possibilities for the land. Owners were invited to express their interests and their constraints related to various types of management of their abandoned farmland. This part of the study was done to learn what are the possibilities for changing the vocation of these lands. The questionnaire put emphasis on forestry management in order to learn if these abandoned lands could be put to contribution in the revalorization of the forestry potential of the area. The data were treated using multivariate analysis. The results show that abandoned farmlands are an undesired space, little used, little known and occupy little place in owners' projects. The owners with a farming profile showed interest in managing their lands whether it be for agricultural of forestry ends. Finally, by linking the type of abandoned farmlands and the owner characteristics, it is possible to present various ways of management which respect the owners' intentions and the biophysical potentiel of the abandoned farmlands.;Keywords. Abandoned farmlands, owners, landscape perception, regional planning, multivariate analysis, afforestation, land use, waste lands, landscape ecology.