Recovery of social-ecologial livestock farming system of the Picos de Europa (northern Spain)

Abstract

Rescia,  A.J.,  Fungairiño,  S.G.,  Dover,  J.W.  (2010).  Recovery  of  social-ecologial  livestock  farming  system  of  the  Picos  de Europa (northern Spain). Ecosistemas 19(2):137-145.

Resilience  of  social-ecological  system  (SES)  of  the  Picos  de  Europa  is  threatened  by  continuing  changes  of  traditional  livestock  farmer activity which increase the economic vulnerability of the local population and their exodus to urban areas, as well as a homogenization of the landscape. We conducted a series of interviews-questionnaires in order to analyse the capacity of the population to have an influence or to be  influenced  by  the  dynamics  of  land  use  changes  and  their  perception  of  previous  changes.  A  conflict  of  interests  among  the  SES components was detected and probable evolutionary trends by integrating historical, cultural and environmental parameters under different management policies were proposed. The recovery and persistence of this system under acceptable levels of biological and spatial diversity and productivity would be more viable under certain patterns of adaptive management and with the active participation of the local population in the decision-making processes. The continuity in time of the traditional landscape based on a livestock farming system would maintain the development of tourism, which is one of the current cornerstones of the local economy.