Abandoned farmlands as components of rural landscapes: An analysis of perceptions and representations

In spite of its importance in some agricultural landscape, abandoned farmland remains relatively little studied. Yet it is central to several land management issues: ecological (biodiversity), economic (agricultural or forest productivity) and landscape issues. In order to better address these issues, this study proposes to define how abandoned farmland is perceived in an intensive agricultural landscape. Using photographs, the perceptions of abandoned farmland (herbaceous and shrub dominated) and 5 other land uses (hay fields, corn fields, pastures, woodlots and plantations) were measured from a sample of 33 abandoned farmland owners in order to compare and rank the perceptions of abandoned farmland to that of other types of land use. Perceptions of landscape changes and the importance of abandoned farmland within properties were studied. The statistical analyses used allowed us to establish relationships between the different perceptions and the socio-economic characteristics and value indicators of the land owners. The analyses establish that abandoned farmland produces the most negative perceptions, followed by corn fields. Conversely, woodlots are the land use that is the most appreciated. The attitude towards the environment was one of the variables most often significant in explaining the perceptions encountered. Analysis of landscape evolution reveals an intensification of agricultural practices that may lead to the conversion of abandoned farmlands into cultivated land. Finally, abandoned farmland is perceived, at the scale of the individual property, as the land use having the least value (as opposed to corn fields) and being the least appreciated (as opposed to forests).