LEDD issues in grazing land: Spain and Central Pyrenees

Editor's note 14Jun2012: Text source D211, section 3.1.4

In the Pyrenees, as in other mountainous areas of Europe, reforestation has taken place since the middle of the 20th century, essentially for socio-economic reasons (MacDonald et al. 2000; Dullinger et al. 2003a; Lasanta et al. 2006; Mottet et al. 2006). Land use change in traditional managed ecosystems has been identified as the key threat to ecosystem services and human well-being since the second half of the 20th century (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005) and needs to be considered by new policies, especially regarding biodiversity targets. These changes concern the abandonment of grazing practices on slopes and intensification of land use in the valley bottom.  Degradation, from the viewpoint of grazing value, involves the loss of productivity of grasslands. The major cause is replacement with unpalatable shrubs. In addition, the productivity of forage can also be greatly reduced by soil erosion, which leads to direct loss of soil nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). These processes are causing long-term changes in pasture conditions and productivity (representing slow variables). In particular, the abandonment of transhumance and the replacement of sheep by cattle have important consequences on the conservation of alpine and subalpine grasslands in the Pyrenees.

As a result of land-use changes, many former pastures and cultivated areas are undergoing succession changes towards shrublands and forests (García-Ruiz et al. 1996; Molinillo et al. 1997). This increasing abandonment of agricultural land is thought to be one important driver for decreasing biodiversity (Bernaldez 1991; Alados et al. 2007), which is particularly relevant in this mountain range considered as one of the main biodiversity hot-spots of Europe. After abandonment, the rate of vegetation succession varies depending on the physical characteristics of the area. During the last 30 years, woody encroachment has increased at a rate of 47 percent (Bartolomé et al. 2005). Echinospartum horridum together with Juniperus communis and Buxus sempervirens are the most common species in woody encroachment processes in the Central Pyrenees.  E. horridum has increased by seven percent of land cover between 1981 and 2005 in the Ordesa and Mote Perdido National Park, with an encroachment speed of around 2 m year-¹ (Komac et al. in press).  Grassland invasion by shrubs is also having an effect on the diversity of grassland species, with the loss of  close to 40 percent of species richness (Komac 2010).

Grazing management was traditionally regulated by local organisations such as the Broto Valley Mancomunity (founded in the 13th Century) and the Casa de Ganaderos de Zaragoza. Recently, in response to the increased importance of conservation protocols, a number of actions have been taken to conserve existing landscapes and the indigenous fauna and flora of the Pyrenees. Examples of such actions include the creation of the Ordesa-Viñamala Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere Program, UNESCO) and Sites of Community Importance and Special Protection Areas (Natura 2000 network) for European protection. From 1986 onwards, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union appears to be the main force in shaping the Spanish agricultural system (Plieniger 2006), supporting meat production. This has resulted in further changes in agriculture, especially an intensification of cattle farming (Plieninger 2006) and resulted in further abandonment of pastures and agricultural fields due to the abandonment of sheep farming. In 2007, the Spanish Government adopted two laws for the protection of rural areas, traditional agriculture and biodiversity. The law “Ley para el Desarollo Sostenible del Miedio rural” had as its principal objective the maintenance of the rural population and activities associated with a better quality of life. The law: “Ley del Patrimonio Natural y la Biodiversidad” was created with the objective of habitat protection and for the control of the impact of urban and industrial areas, and the prohibition of major land use change, which can negatively affect protected areas.

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