Effectiveness of the GAEC cross compliance standard Protection of permanent pasture: prohibition to convert permanent pasture into arable crops in avoiding habitat deterioration

Submitted: 25 March 2011
Accepted: 18 May 2011
Published: 12 August 2011
Abstract Views: 783
PDF: 418
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

By the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century new developments in agricultural technology caused an intensification of the agricultural practices. Species adapted to the diversity of structures or resources of high naturalistic value farmlands, like permanent pasture, cannot survive under increasingly high intensity agricultural management. The Italian MD n.30125 dated 22/12/2009 (Standard 4.1) defines, among the measures for the protection of permanent pasture and avoidance the deterioration of habitats, the prohibition to convert permanent pasture into arable crops and to till with the exception of agricultural practices related to the renewal and/or thickening of the sward and to the drainage water management. Permanent pastures biodiversity performs key ecological services and if correctly assembled in time and space can lead to agroecosystems capable of sponsoring their own soil fertility, crop protection and productivity. The vegetative cover of permanent pasture prevents soil erosion, replenishes ground water and controls flooding by enhancing infiltration and reducing runoff. The changes of land use or some practices change insect community and vegetation diversity. Physical disturbance of the soil caused by tillage increases risk of erosion and reduces the recycling of nutrients and proper balance between organic matter, soil organism and plant diversity. Is necessary a habitat preservation policy because after a change, even a return to past management would not completely re-establish the complex structure of habitats.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Paola Ruda, Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura
CRA-AAM Unità di Ricerca per i sistemi Agropastorali in Ambiente Mediterraneo
Mauro Salis, Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura
CRA-AAM Unità di Ricerca per i sistemi Agropastorali in Ambiente Mediterraneo
Antonio M. Carroni, Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura
CRA-AAM Unità di Ricerca per i sistemi Agropastorali in Ambiente Mediterraneo

How to Cite

Ruda, P., Salis, M., & Carroni, A. M. (2011). Effectiveness of the GAEC cross compliance standard Protection of permanent pasture: prohibition to convert permanent pasture into arable crops in avoiding habitat deterioration. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 6(s1), e12. https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2011.6.s1.e12

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.