A holistic landscape ecological study of the interactions between farming activities and ecological patterns in Brittany, France

We present a holistic analysis of the interactions of farming activities an d ecological patterns within a gradient of landscape structure. This gradie nt is represented by three landscapes that grade from a dense hedgerow netw ork landscape to an open landscape. These landscapes differ in both the typ e of farms (though most are dairy farms) and the type of hedgerow. Differen ces in hedgerow structure are correlated to adjacent land-use and to differ ences in farming systems. The grain of the landscapes, measured by the area of land at various distances from dense hedgerows is also different from o ne landscape to another. Ecological patterns are assessed by plant species distribution. Variations in the plant species composition of field margins is related to hedgerow st ructure, adjacent land-use and landscapes. The combination of hierarchical approaches of both farming systems and ecol ogical systems through landscape elements and patterns proves to be a promi sing avenue to understand and manage the interactions between the two syste ms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.