José Manuel de Mascarenhas

Contribution to the extensification/intensification debate: new trends in the Portuguese montado

The montado is the agro-silvo pastoral system specific to the region of Alentejo, Southern Portugal, comprising an open formation of cork and holm oaks in varying densities, combined with a rotation of crops/fallow/pastures. Case studies in different areas of Alentejo, combining the land use and the farmers’ decision making, have shown recent extensification in different sub-types of montado. The agro-silvo pastoral system is in transition towards a silvo-pastoral or even purely forestry system. Cultivation is becoming less important in the system rotation, whereas livestock production is becoming more relevant and the ground cover is used only as pasture. The cork is still valuable and, in most cases, is the first priority in the exploitation. New alternative uses are arising; they include hunting and rural tourism, both intended to support the preservation of the traditional landscapes. All these uses are supported directly or indirectly by the EU’s CAP; for example, through agro-environmental measures. Although scrub patches are becoming larger, complete land abandonment is rare. These land use systems are based on a use that is even more extensive. Consequently the landscape is changing, but a new equilibrium, displaying new land cover mosaics, might be attained. Concomitantly, intensification is occurring in certain areas. It causes degradation as a result of various management factors: (a) harvesting activity and deep ploughing in the areas where crops are cultivated, (b) too high stocking rates in relation to the carrying capacity of the system, impeding, for example, the natural regeneration of the tree cover; (c) introduction of heavy cattle breeds, which aggravates the problem of overstocking and results in direct damage to the soil structure and to the tree root system. The clearing of the shrub layer with heavy machinery affects the Quercus regeneration in both extensively and intensively managed patches, but no effective alternatives have yet been found. Today, the main landscape problem of the montado is not the abandonment of the system due to extensification, but is rather: (1) whether the current extensification is leading to a new equilibrium in an extensive silvo-pastoral or merely forestry system, and what type of landscape mosaic this change is creating; and (2) whether it is possible to avoid short-term intensification and improve mechanisation to clear shrubs without degradation; (3) to what extent these changes depend on the CAP and how they will react to CAP changes in the future.

Guidelines for the integration of biological and cultural values in a landscape interpretation centre: application in southern Portugal

The city of Évora (the Roman Ebora Liberalitas Julia) is the most important town in Alentejo province (Southern Portugal) and is surrounded by a quite rich cultural and biological landscape involving archaeological sites of several epochs, old field networks and farms, as well as specific multifunctional cultural landscapes, the agro-forestry-pastoral systems called montados. Based on previous studies and land surveys, in which where identified the best preserved sectors and marks around Évora concerning the old cadastral systems, ecological corridors networks and the most important montados areas for preservation, it is presented the main guidelines for the development of an interpretation centre for the cultural and biological values in the Évora region. The methodology applies GIS spatial analysis and multilevel approaches and gives the guidelines for the integration of the different cultural and biological values in a holistic approach of landscape. The conceptual model is presented as well as the results obtained for the Évora Region.

Why are Cultural Landscapes of Various Values? Thinking About Heritage Landscape Evaluation and Monitoring Tools

Why are Cultural Landscapes of Various Values? Thinking About Heritage Landscape Evaluation and Monitoring Tools The aim of this paper is to contribute towards the successful management of heritage landscapes. Many cultural landscapes represent high heritage value and should be classified as heritage landscapes; therefore, special tools should be considered to be used in managing them. These landscapes should be evaluated according to heritage science criteria and good practice guidelines should be established. Several useful heritage landscape evaluation criteria were identified and characterised, and their relative importance was analysed, enabling the establishment of a heritage value hierarchy by means of a weighted linear combination. This is significant in the context of land management measures for countryside valorization promoting rural development. However, this approach also requires awareness of the link between the present cultural landscape and the history of the people that have interacted with the area involved. This is also important for the establishment of a priority ranking system for monitoring criteria indicators. A method for doing this is also proposed by the authors.

Human Ecology Training Programmes: The International Centre For Human Ecology – Centre International D’ Écologie Humaine Network

Abstract This study reviews human ecology programme as taught in western Europe by members of the network, International centre for human ecology (centre international d’ ecologie humaine). The network is composed of a total of 12 universities in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland and has been in existence since 1973. The human ecology programme in the universities is not identical but what links the universities in practice is there common interpretation of human ecology and the advantages that they see in interuniversity collaboration. In this study a questionnaire is used to gather characteristic information about human ecology programmes in the partner universities. The information allows for comparisons to be made among the programmes and between these programmes and similar programmes elsewhere. It may also be used as basis for enhanced collaboration among partner universities. The results show existence of diversity as well as areas of intersection in the characteristics of the programmes.