The Experts below are selected from a list of 321 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Davide Rizzo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Temporospatial analysis of agricultural systems at regional watershed level : 30 years of data to characterize the Meuse and Moselle watersheds, France
2014Co-Authors: Davide Rizzo, Guillaume Godfroy, Marc BenoitAbstract:Agriculture is challenged by large scale issues, such as the impacts of wide land system changes on environmental resources, urging Agronomy to evolve. Landscape Agronomy emerged as a new perspective to address these issues through spatially-explicit modeling of the interactions between farming practices and natural resources at the landscape level (Benoit, Rizzo et al. 2012). In this study we aimed at characterizing agricultural systems focusing major crop sequences and the related fertilization practices to so as to map the potential pressure on water quality.
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Landscape Agronomy: a new field for addressing agricultural landscape dynamics
Landscape Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Marc Benoit, Mariassunta Galli, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Enrico BonariAbstract:Landscape dynamics increasingly challenge agronomists to explain how and why agricultural landscapes are designed and managed by farmers. Nevertheless, Agronomy is rarely included in the wide range of disciplines involved in landscape research. In this paper, we describe how landscape Agronomy can help explain the relationship between farming systems and agricultural landscape dynamics. For this, we propose a conceptual model of agricultural landscape dynamics that illustrates the specific contribution of Agronomy to landscape research. This model describes the relationship between three elements: farming practices, landscape patterns and natural resources. It can stimulate agronomists to deal with research issues in agricultural landscape dynamics and enhance the interdisciplinary integration of farming systems in wider landscape research. On these premises, we discuss the main research issues that will benefit from an active involvement of Agronomy, to understand, but also to assess landscape dynamics and to design relevant decision support systems.
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How can landscape management be enhanced by farming systems? A landscape Agronomy perspective
2012Co-Authors: Davide Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Marta Debolini, Marc BenoitAbstract:Agronomists are faced to the multiple stakeholders’ landscape design as a rising issue in the management of farming systems. Furthermore, the European Landscape Convention (ELC) has formally acknowledged the expectations of local stakeholders and decision-makers for a greater support to protect, manage and plan the landscapes. A renewed perspective of Agronomy on landscape research has recently tried to tackle this challenge. This perspective, called “landscape Agronomy” (LA), strives to widen again the agronomic spatial focus beyond the field or the farm to the landscape. For that, LA has proposed a conceptual model of agricultural landscapes to relate farming practices and natural resources with the continuous reshaping of land use patterns operated by farmers. Interpreting the ELC landscape definition accordingly, we consider that the character of agricultural landscapes results uppermost from farming practices. On this underpinning assumption we have further developed the LA conceptual model to characterize some land management units of rural spaces. Our aim is to articulate landscape management with farming systems. In this paper, after a short presentation of the LA conceptual model, we analyze the agricultural landscape features as example of elementary management unit. Finally, we discuss how the landscape management by farming systems can help to structure the interaction of Agronomy with other disciplines, such as geography and landscape ecology.
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How can landscape management be enhanced by farming systems ? A landscape Agronomy perspective
2012Co-Authors: Davide Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Sylvie Lardon, Marta Debolini, Marc BenoitAbstract:Agronomists are faced to the multiple stakeholders' landscape design as a rising issue in the management of farming systems. Furthermore, the European Landscape Convention (ELC) has formally acknowledged the expectations of local stakeholders and decision-makers for a greater support to protect manage and plan the landscapes. A renewed perspective of Agronomy on landscape research has recently tried to tackle this challenge. This perspective, called "landscape Agronomy" (LA), strives to widen again the agronomic spatial focus beyond the field or the farm to the landscape. For that, LA has proposed a conceptual model of agricultural landscapes to relate farming practices and natural resources with the continuous reshaping of land use patterns operated by farmers. Interpreting the ELC landscape definition accordingly, we consider that the character of agricultural landscapes results uppermost from farming practices. On this underpinning assumption we have further developed the LA conceptual model to characterize some land management units of rural spaces. Our aim is to articulate landscape management with farming systems. In this paper, after a short presentation of the LA conceptual model, we analyze the agricultural landscape features as example of elementary management unit. Finally, we discuss how the landscape management by farming systems can help to structure the interaction of Agronomy with other disciplines, such as geography and landscape ecology.
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A winter school in landscape Agronomy and the synergies it created.
2010Co-Authors: Anna Camilla Moonen, Mariassunta Galli, Marc Benoit, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Nicola Silvestri, Marta DeboliniAbstract:We present the experience of the second Winter School in Landscape Agronomy (WSLA) for PhD students in Agronomy developed by a French-Italian team of researchers with various backgrounds but all working in an agronomical context which requires a landscape scale vision and concerns agro-environmental and territorial issues. The lack of a common language became evident and all researchers recognised that contributions from different disciplines (Agronomy, geography, landscape ecology, land management, etc.) could contribute to the development of an appropriate research methodology for the specific research questions. Hence a common conceptual framework was developed and a concepts and tools "glossary" was defined. The efficacy of the framework and glossary to help communication in Landscape Agronomy issues was tested through 1) application of the framework in the development of the WSLA and 2) by looking at the capacity of the framework and the glossary i) to guide the students through the concepts of Landscape Agronomy and ii) to help them in defining questions regarding the case study. In this paper we present some scientific and educational issues that are involved in the WSLA; we present the conceptual framework developed for the WS, and we show its place in the educational programme. We elucidate the innovative aspects added to the educational curricula of the students that participated and highlight the created synergies. For teachers, this new approach helped to better structure the WSLA programme; for the students, it made it easier to position new knowledge and to give structure to the case study work.
Mariassunta Galli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Landscape Agronomy: a new field for addressing agricultural landscape dynamics
Landscape Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Marc Benoit, Mariassunta Galli, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Enrico BonariAbstract:Landscape dynamics increasingly challenge agronomists to explain how and why agricultural landscapes are designed and managed by farmers. Nevertheless, Agronomy is rarely included in the wide range of disciplines involved in landscape research. In this paper, we describe how landscape Agronomy can help explain the relationship between farming systems and agricultural landscape dynamics. For this, we propose a conceptual model of agricultural landscape dynamics that illustrates the specific contribution of Agronomy to landscape research. This model describes the relationship between three elements: farming practices, landscape patterns and natural resources. It can stimulate agronomists to deal with research issues in agricultural landscape dynamics and enhance the interdisciplinary integration of farming systems in wider landscape research. On these premises, we discuss the main research issues that will benefit from an active involvement of Agronomy, to understand, but also to assess landscape dynamics and to design relevant decision support systems.
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The Territory Agronomy Approach in research, education and training
Farming Systems Research into the 21st Century: The New Dynamic, 2012Co-Authors: Sylvie Lardon, Mariassunta Galli, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Marta Debolini, Salma LoudiyiAbstract:Landscape and territory Agronomy analyses the two-way relationship between farming practices and land patterns. It takes into account both agro-environmental and socio-economic processes. A conceptual framework is presented to facilitate understanding of the complex interactions between the disciplines that contribute to this new field of research. We discuss the organisational issues that arise at various spatial and temporal scales during the development of territory-based case studies and research projects. The territory Agronomy approach is a participatory action science. Building on our experiences, we propose a conceptual research-education-action platform for land management and territorial development. It demonstrates that the Territory Agronomy Approach is an iterative process where researchers, teachers, trainers and stakeholders develop new questions and methods through participation. These characteristics make the territory Agronomy approach adapted to promote the territorial dimension in research, education and training activities on farming systems.
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Farming systems and territorial issues: new approaches in research and education
2012Co-Authors: Sylvie Lardon, Mariassunta Galli, Anna Camilla Moonen, Marta Debolini, Salma LoudiyiAbstract:Landscape and territory Agronomy analyses the two-way relationship between farming practices and land patterns. It takes into account both agroenvironmental and socio-economic processes. A conceptual framework is presented to facilitate understanding of the complex interactions between the disciplines that contribute to this new field of research. We discuss the organisational issues that arise at various spatial and temporal scales during the development of territory-based case studies and research projects. The territory Agronomy approach is a participatory action science. Building on our experiences, we propose conceptual research-education-action platform for land management and territorial development. It demonstrates that the Territory Agronomy Approach is an iterative process where researchers, teachers, trainers and stakeholders develop new questions and methods through participation. These characteristics make the territory Agronomy approach adapted to promote the territorial dimension in research, education and training activities on farming systems.
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A winter school in landscape Agronomy and the synergies it created.
2010Co-Authors: Anna Camilla Moonen, Mariassunta Galli, Marc Benoit, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Nicola Silvestri, Marta DeboliniAbstract:We present the experience of the second Winter School in Landscape Agronomy (WSLA) for PhD students in Agronomy developed by a French-Italian team of researchers with various backgrounds but all working in an agronomical context which requires a landscape scale vision and concerns agro-environmental and territorial issues. The lack of a common language became evident and all researchers recognised that contributions from different disciplines (Agronomy, geography, landscape ecology, land management, etc.) could contribute to the development of an appropriate research methodology for the specific research questions. Hence a common conceptual framework was developed and a concepts and tools "glossary" was defined. The efficacy of the framework and glossary to help communication in Landscape Agronomy issues was tested through 1) application of the framework in the development of the WSLA and 2) by looking at the capacity of the framework and the glossary i) to guide the students through the concepts of Landscape Agronomy and ii) to help them in defining questions regarding the case study. In this paper we present some scientific and educational issues that are involved in the WSLA; we present the conceptual framework developed for the WS, and we show its place in the educational programme. We elucidate the innovative aspects added to the educational curricula of the students that participated and highlight the created synergies. For teachers, this new approach helped to better structure the WSLA programme; for the students, it made it easier to position new knowledge and to give structure to the case study work.
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experiences from a winter school on landscape Agronomy stakes difficulties perspectives
Empowerment of the rural actors. A renewal of farming systems perspectives : 8th European IFSA Symposium 6-10 July 2008 Clermond-Ferrand, 2008Co-Authors: Helene Rapey, Mariassunta Galli, Sylvie Lardo, C Moone, Marc Enoi, Claudine Thenail, Patrick Caro, P Arberi, Elisa Marraccini, Davide RizzoAbstract:In the latest fifteen years, agronomic reserach has shown a growing interst for studies which link farm or field scale to landscape scale. Thus, Agronomy is called to renew its research questions and methodologies, and as well its educational programmes. In this context, some French and Italian researchers interested in these topics, coming from different scientific fields but sharing interests on landscape scale issues in research and higher education, decided to join their efforts eround a common one-week educational programme on Landscape Agrocnomy for undergraduate and PhD students. Their aim has been to develop a new form of knowledge transfer and application on Landscape Agronomy approaches to students of SSA-Pisa (IT) and of the PhD School of ABIES-AgroParisTech-Paris (FR). The educational programme consisted of three phases : 1) some theorical contributions supposed by presentations on : issues regarding agriculture and farming practices at landscape level, main approaches on environmental functions of agriculture, changes in farmers practices driven by environmental questions, spatial organization of agricultural activities, role of farming in ecological dynamics, identification of complementarities among agro-environmental functions, environmental impacts of cropping systems, biodiversity influence on agro-ecosystem functions and vice-versa ; 2) two case studies : a "macro level" one (at landscape scale) to analyse the role of agriculture on landscape dynamics, and a "micro level" one (at farm scale) to analyse farming practices and their environmental impacts ; 3) a final evaluation of the educational programme based on : contents of oral presentations on fieldwork results, global evaluation of the educational programme contents by all the participants, each individual ex-post analysis of fieldwork results. The evaluation of the students and teachers underlines benefits, requests and prespectives for education in landscape Agronomy. Furthermore, this experience stimulated a collective conceptual and methodological debate that confirmed the necessity to favour and organise experience exchanges on researching and learning in landscape Agronomy
Elisa Marraccini - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Farming systems designing landscapes: land management units at the interface between Agronomy and geography
Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography, 2013Co-Authors: D. Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Marta Debolini, M. Benoît, Claudine ThenailAbstract:Agriculture faces big challenges, such as feeding a growing population and providing an increasing amount of biomass for energy production. Land is, however, a limited resource and intensification of agricultural practices is deprecated because of the negative impacts on natural resources. Effective answers should therefore be fostered by the development of smarter spatial configurations of agricultural activities. The improvement of farming systems therefore requires Agronomy to interact with geography and other disciplines that deal with spatially-explicit aspects of agricultural land management. Different research approaches have supported Agronomy in the development of a landscape approach and in this paper we focus on the interactions with geography fostering the enhancement of a common language about the way farming practices are observed and understood by the two disciplines. For this purpose, we compare land management units, identified in recent agronomic literature, with the aim to facilitate future synergies of landscape-oriented research about farming system design. We conclude by arguing for the enhancement of the interface between Agronomy and geography and discussing some perspectives on the use of the various land management units in the design of future farming systems with a landscape approach.
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Landscape Agronomy: a new field for addressing agricultural landscape dynamics
Landscape Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Marc Benoit, Mariassunta Galli, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Enrico BonariAbstract:Landscape dynamics increasingly challenge agronomists to explain how and why agricultural landscapes are designed and managed by farmers. Nevertheless, Agronomy is rarely included in the wide range of disciplines involved in landscape research. In this paper, we describe how landscape Agronomy can help explain the relationship between farming systems and agricultural landscape dynamics. For this, we propose a conceptual model of agricultural landscape dynamics that illustrates the specific contribution of Agronomy to landscape research. This model describes the relationship between three elements: farming practices, landscape patterns and natural resources. It can stimulate agronomists to deal with research issues in agricultural landscape dynamics and enhance the interdisciplinary integration of farming systems in wider landscape research. On these premises, we discuss the main research issues that will benefit from an active involvement of Agronomy, to understand, but also to assess landscape dynamics and to design relevant decision support systems.
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How can landscape management be enhanced by farming systems? A landscape Agronomy perspective
2012Co-Authors: Davide Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Marta Debolini, Marc BenoitAbstract:Agronomists are faced to the multiple stakeholders’ landscape design as a rising issue in the management of farming systems. Furthermore, the European Landscape Convention (ELC) has formally acknowledged the expectations of local stakeholders and decision-makers for a greater support to protect, manage and plan the landscapes. A renewed perspective of Agronomy on landscape research has recently tried to tackle this challenge. This perspective, called “landscape Agronomy” (LA), strives to widen again the agronomic spatial focus beyond the field or the farm to the landscape. For that, LA has proposed a conceptual model of agricultural landscapes to relate farming practices and natural resources with the continuous reshaping of land use patterns operated by farmers. Interpreting the ELC landscape definition accordingly, we consider that the character of agricultural landscapes results uppermost from farming practices. On this underpinning assumption we have further developed the LA conceptual model to characterize some land management units of rural spaces. Our aim is to articulate landscape management with farming systems. In this paper, after a short presentation of the LA conceptual model, we analyze the agricultural landscape features as example of elementary management unit. Finally, we discuss how the landscape management by farming systems can help to structure the interaction of Agronomy with other disciplines, such as geography and landscape ecology.
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The Territory Agronomy Approach in research, education and training
Farming Systems Research into the 21st Century: The New Dynamic, 2012Co-Authors: Sylvie Lardon, Mariassunta Galli, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Marta Debolini, Salma LoudiyiAbstract:Landscape and territory Agronomy analyses the two-way relationship between farming practices and land patterns. It takes into account both agro-environmental and socio-economic processes. A conceptual framework is presented to facilitate understanding of the complex interactions between the disciplines that contribute to this new field of research. We discuss the organisational issues that arise at various spatial and temporal scales during the development of territory-based case studies and research projects. The territory Agronomy approach is a participatory action science. Building on our experiences, we propose a conceptual research-education-action platform for land management and territorial development. It demonstrates that the Territory Agronomy Approach is an iterative process where researchers, teachers, trainers and stakeholders develop new questions and methods through participation. These characteristics make the territory Agronomy approach adapted to promote the territorial dimension in research, education and training activities on farming systems.
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A winter school in landscape Agronomy and the synergies it created.
2010Co-Authors: Anna Camilla Moonen, Mariassunta Galli, Marc Benoit, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Nicola Silvestri, Marta DeboliniAbstract:We present the experience of the second Winter School in Landscape Agronomy (WSLA) for PhD students in Agronomy developed by a French-Italian team of researchers with various backgrounds but all working in an agronomical context which requires a landscape scale vision and concerns agro-environmental and territorial issues. The lack of a common language became evident and all researchers recognised that contributions from different disciplines (Agronomy, geography, landscape ecology, land management, etc.) could contribute to the development of an appropriate research methodology for the specific research questions. Hence a common conceptual framework was developed and a concepts and tools "glossary" was defined. The efficacy of the framework and glossary to help communication in Landscape Agronomy issues was tested through 1) application of the framework in the development of the WSLA and 2) by looking at the capacity of the framework and the glossary i) to guide the students through the concepts of Landscape Agronomy and ii) to help them in defining questions regarding the case study. In this paper we present some scientific and educational issues that are involved in the WSLA; we present the conceptual framework developed for the WS, and we show its place in the educational programme. We elucidate the innovative aspects added to the educational curricula of the students that participated and highlight the created synergies. For teachers, this new approach helped to better structure the WSLA programme; for the students, it made it easier to position new knowledge and to give structure to the case study work.
Helene Rapey - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Farming systems designing landscapes: land management units at the interface between Agronomy and geography
Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography, 2013Co-Authors: D. Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Marta Debolini, M. Benoît, Claudine ThenailAbstract:Agriculture faces big challenges, such as feeding a growing population and providing an increasing amount of biomass for energy production. Land is, however, a limited resource and intensification of agricultural practices is deprecated because of the negative impacts on natural resources. Effective answers should therefore be fostered by the development of smarter spatial configurations of agricultural activities. The improvement of farming systems therefore requires Agronomy to interact with geography and other disciplines that deal with spatially-explicit aspects of agricultural land management. Different research approaches have supported Agronomy in the development of a landscape approach and in this paper we focus on the interactions with geography fostering the enhancement of a common language about the way farming practices are observed and understood by the two disciplines. For this purpose, we compare land management units, identified in recent agronomic literature, with the aim to facilitate future synergies of landscape-oriented research about farming system design. We conclude by arguing for the enhancement of the interface between Agronomy and geography and discussing some perspectives on the use of the various land management units in the design of future farming systems with a landscape approach.
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Landscape Agronomy: a new field for addressing agricultural landscape dynamics
Landscape Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Marc Benoit, Mariassunta Galli, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Enrico BonariAbstract:Landscape dynamics increasingly challenge agronomists to explain how and why agricultural landscapes are designed and managed by farmers. Nevertheless, Agronomy is rarely included in the wide range of disciplines involved in landscape research. In this paper, we describe how landscape Agronomy can help explain the relationship between farming systems and agricultural landscape dynamics. For this, we propose a conceptual model of agricultural landscape dynamics that illustrates the specific contribution of Agronomy to landscape research. This model describes the relationship between three elements: farming practices, landscape patterns and natural resources. It can stimulate agronomists to deal with research issues in agricultural landscape dynamics and enhance the interdisciplinary integration of farming systems in wider landscape research. On these premises, we discuss the main research issues that will benefit from an active involvement of Agronomy, to understand, but also to assess landscape dynamics and to design relevant decision support systems.
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How can landscape management be enhanced by farming systems? A landscape Agronomy perspective
2012Co-Authors: Davide Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Marta Debolini, Marc BenoitAbstract:Agronomists are faced to the multiple stakeholders’ landscape design as a rising issue in the management of farming systems. Furthermore, the European Landscape Convention (ELC) has formally acknowledged the expectations of local stakeholders and decision-makers for a greater support to protect, manage and plan the landscapes. A renewed perspective of Agronomy on landscape research has recently tried to tackle this challenge. This perspective, called “landscape Agronomy” (LA), strives to widen again the agronomic spatial focus beyond the field or the farm to the landscape. For that, LA has proposed a conceptual model of agricultural landscapes to relate farming practices and natural resources with the continuous reshaping of land use patterns operated by farmers. Interpreting the ELC landscape definition accordingly, we consider that the character of agricultural landscapes results uppermost from farming practices. On this underpinning assumption we have further developed the LA conceptual model to characterize some land management units of rural spaces. Our aim is to articulate landscape management with farming systems. In this paper, after a short presentation of the LA conceptual model, we analyze the agricultural landscape features as example of elementary management unit. Finally, we discuss how the landscape management by farming systems can help to structure the interaction of Agronomy with other disciplines, such as geography and landscape ecology.
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How can landscape management be enhanced by farming systems ? A landscape Agronomy perspective
2012Co-Authors: Davide Rizzo, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Sylvie Lardon, Marta Debolini, Marc BenoitAbstract:Agronomists are faced to the multiple stakeholders' landscape design as a rising issue in the management of farming systems. Furthermore, the European Landscape Convention (ELC) has formally acknowledged the expectations of local stakeholders and decision-makers for a greater support to protect manage and plan the landscapes. A renewed perspective of Agronomy on landscape research has recently tried to tackle this challenge. This perspective, called "landscape Agronomy" (LA), strives to widen again the agronomic spatial focus beyond the field or the farm to the landscape. For that, LA has proposed a conceptual model of agricultural landscapes to relate farming practices and natural resources with the continuous reshaping of land use patterns operated by farmers. Interpreting the ELC landscape definition accordingly, we consider that the character of agricultural landscapes results uppermost from farming practices. On this underpinning assumption we have further developed the LA conceptual model to characterize some land management units of rural spaces. Our aim is to articulate landscape management with farming systems. In this paper, after a short presentation of the LA conceptual model, we analyze the agricultural landscape features as example of elementary management unit. Finally, we discuss how the landscape management by farming systems can help to structure the interaction of Agronomy with other disciplines, such as geography and landscape ecology.
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A winter school in landscape Agronomy and the synergies it created.
2010Co-Authors: Anna Camilla Moonen, Mariassunta Galli, Marc Benoit, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Nicola Silvestri, Marta DeboliniAbstract:We present the experience of the second Winter School in Landscape Agronomy (WSLA) for PhD students in Agronomy developed by a French-Italian team of researchers with various backgrounds but all working in an agronomical context which requires a landscape scale vision and concerns agro-environmental and territorial issues. The lack of a common language became evident and all researchers recognised that contributions from different disciplines (Agronomy, geography, landscape ecology, land management, etc.) could contribute to the development of an appropriate research methodology for the specific research questions. Hence a common conceptual framework was developed and a concepts and tools "glossary" was defined. The efficacy of the framework and glossary to help communication in Landscape Agronomy issues was tested through 1) application of the framework in the development of the WSLA and 2) by looking at the capacity of the framework and the glossary i) to guide the students through the concepts of Landscape Agronomy and ii) to help them in defining questions regarding the case study. In this paper we present some scientific and educational issues that are involved in the WSLA; we present the conceptual framework developed for the WS, and we show its place in the educational programme. We elucidate the innovative aspects added to the educational curricula of the students that participated and highlight the created synergies. For teachers, this new approach helped to better structure the WSLA programme; for the students, it made it easier to position new knowledge and to give structure to the case study work.
Enrico Bonari - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Landscape Agronomy: a new field for addressing agricultural landscape dynamics
Landscape Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Marc Benoit, Mariassunta Galli, Helene Rapey, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Anna Camilla Moonen, Enrico BonariAbstract:Landscape dynamics increasingly challenge agronomists to explain how and why agricultural landscapes are designed and managed by farmers. Nevertheless, Agronomy is rarely included in the wide range of disciplines involved in landscape research. In this paper, we describe how landscape Agronomy can help explain the relationship between farming systems and agricultural landscape dynamics. For this, we propose a conceptual model of agricultural landscape dynamics that illustrates the specific contribution of Agronomy to landscape research. This model describes the relationship between three elements: farming practices, landscape patterns and natural resources. It can stimulate agronomists to deal with research issues in agricultural landscape dynamics and enhance the interdisciplinary integration of farming systems in wider landscape research. On these premises, we discuss the main research issues that will benefit from an active involvement of Agronomy, to understand, but also to assess landscape dynamics and to design relevant decision support systems.
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Experiences from a winter school on landscape Agronomy: stakes, difficulties, perspectives
Empowerment of the rural actors: a renewal of farming systems perspectives: 8th European IFSA Symposium, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 6-10 July 2008, 2008Co-Authors: Helene Rapey, Mariassunta Galli, Patrick Caron, Paolo Bàrberi, Marc Benoit, Camilla Moonen, Claudine Thenail, Davide Rizzo, Sylvie Lardon, Elisa Marraccini, Enrico BonariAbstract:In the latest fifteen years, agronomic research has shown a growing interest for studies which link farm or field scale to landscape scale. Thus, Agronomy is called to renew its research questions and methodologies, and as well its educational programmes. In this context, some French and Italian researchers interested in these topics, coming from different scientific fields but sharing interests on landscape scale issues in research and higher education, decided to join their efforts around a common one-week educational programme on Landscape Agronomy for undergraduate and PhD students. Their aim has been to develop a new form of knowledge transfer and application on Landscape Agronomy approaches to students of SSSA-Pisa (IT) and of the PhD School of ABIES-AgroParisTech-Paris (FR). The educational programme consisted of three phases: (1) some theoretical contributions supported by presentations on: issues regarding agriculture and farming practices at landscape level, main approaches on environmental functions of agriculture, changes in farmers practices driven by environmental questions, spatial organization of agricultural activities, role of farming in ecological dynamics, identification of complementarities among agro-environmental functions, environmental impacts of cropping systems, biodiversity influence on agro-ecosystem functions and vice-versa; (2) two case-studies: a "macro level" one (at landscape scale) to analyse the role of agriculture on landscape dynamics, and a "micro level" one (at farm scale) to analyse farming practices and their environmental impacts; (3) a final evaluation of the educational programme based on: contents of oral presentations on fieldwork results, global evaluation of the educational programme contents by all the participants, each individual ex-post analysis of fieldwork results. The evaluation of the students and teachers underlines benefits, requests and perspectives for education in landscape Agronomy. Furthermore, this experience stimulated a collective conceptual and methodological debate that confirmed the necessity to favour and organise experience exchanges on researching and learning in landscape Agronomy.
