the systems of grassland management in spain - Publicaciones del ...

48Information on the distribution of traditionalherds in Spain can be found in general books, forinstance, Sarazá et al. (1975) 01' in regionalmonographs: Rodríguez (1955); Echevarria Belzunegui(1975); Francia (1978); de Miguel (1978);Sánchez (1978).THE MAIN GRAZING SYSTEMS IN SPAIN AT THEPRESENT TIMEInlroduelionThe maps in Fig.3.7 summarize the uses ofagricultural and forested land. They are based onthe most recent statistics supplied by the Ministeriode Agricultura (1980). Our main aim has been toshow, quantitatively, the relationship of differentprovinces to ane another.The relative importance of different types ofland usage is summarized in the central diagram,that is, agricultural, forested, meadow and pasturelandand other miscellaneous uses. More than 70%of the land is taken up by cultivation and forestry.The great plains of the Duero, the Tajo, LaMancha, La Campiña in Andalucía and a big partof the southeast (Murcia-Alicante) have beenploughed for centuries. Permanent grasslands arefound in the northern region 01" in mountains, andalso in lhe lVestern region (Salamanca-Extremaduraand western Andalucía) IVhere the dehesaorganization of pasture-Iand is typical. Extensivereforestation has taken place in Galicia, theBasque country, and the provinces of Barcelona,Gerona and Huelva.Figure 3.8 sholVs further details of land use withspecia! reference to grazing land. In the north andlVest the distribution of grassland is dependent onhumidity and edaphic factors and it is generallyprivately owned, while the rough pastures arecommunal. In areas such as the dehesa (a type ofnatural evergreen oak [orest, managed underextensive farming), the timber production is unimportan!.Lastly (Fig. 3.80) there is the southeasternregion with "Esparto" (Stipa tenacissima)rough grassland.To complete the picture, lVe have also shown(Fig.3.9) the areas IVhere trees are cuitivated fortheir fruit (olives, almonds, etc.) and the dehesarcgion.PEDRO MONTSERRAT "nd FEDERICO FlLLATSorne types of grazing syslemsFigure 3.10 sholVs sixteen different types ofpasture-Iand found in Spain and the main routes oftranshumance traditionally followed by flocks toreach areas of winter grazing.European-Atlanlic sectorCanlabrian meadows. General characlerislics(Montes Cantábricos and Galicia Regions, No. la,lb and Ic in Fig. 3.\0). In a wet climate it is easy tomaintain the meadows in good condition byperiodic cutting. Maritime air and also frequentmists provide the necessary humidity to pasturessurroundcd by 1V00dland. Grazed lands are foundin the more rocky rugged slopes (brañas in theCantabrian Mountains) and meadows in moreaccessible regions for cutting and storing (hay orsilage). The grass lVas fonnerly scythed up to aslope of 30-40°, although nOlVadays, because mostof this grassland has been abandoned, bracken andna tural woods have replaced meadolVs while thelVarmer, lower slopes have been reafforested withpine (Pinus radiata) or ElIcalyptus.Near the more densely populated coastal regions,IVhere there are scattered factories, one findsthe so-called prado-jardín or grasslands dedicatedto dairy cattIe. This dual activity (industry andcattle) is typical of Cantabria, Asturias andGalicia, with well-managed meadows interspersedwith small allotments. Most of these grasslands aredominated by Fes/uca arulldinacea, a spontaneousgrass standing up well to frequent cutting, andcharacteristic of good soils near the Cantabriancoast (Sociedad Nestlé, 1980).Further inland, winter production decreascstogether with cutting frequency. Away from thevillages there are stabIes near the cut grass and theproduction is stored as hay for feeding to stock in\Vio ter; generally, pastures are more importantthan in the coastal region. There are plantcommunities of Arrhenalflefion e1a¡;oris or Cynosurion(Tiixen and Oberdorfer, 1958) and Nardetalioin the wetter depressions. The practice of burningwinter grassland has given rise to communities ofheathlands (mainly Ulex europeus or U. gallii).Erica l'agan~ abounds in dry limestone mountainregions, as against E. cinerea and Calfuna vulgaris\Vhere the substrate is siliceous. The big Edca