Relationships between farm characteristics and the variation of the density of hedgerows at the level of a micro-region of bocage landscape. Study case in Brittany, France

In a perspective of managing the evolution of the bocage landscape, we address the issue of the joint development of agriculture and landscape at micro-regional scales. The study aims at testing the hypothesis of a relationship between bocage structure and farm characteristics along a 10-km long gradient of decreasing density of hedgerows in Brittany (France). A sample of 69 farms is made from three study sites chosen along this gradient. Dairy production with maize, cereals and grassland predominate. Farm territories are scattered along the gradient. The production, economic levels, productivity and technical means increase from the dense to the open bocage area. There is a joint significant differentiation of the technical systems. Different levels of organization of the farming systems thus contribute to this pattern. The results suggest that the nature and organization of this joint diversity are key factors to evaluate and manage future developments. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.