Organic mixed farms in the landscape of a brook valley. How can a co-operative of organic mixed farms contribute to ecological and aesthetic qualities of a landscape?.

摘要

The orientation of people in space and time is considered an important aspect of aesthetic quality. To facilitate orientation in space and time a landscape should supply information about the natural features, the history of the occupation and aboutthe present meaning. Biodiversity, continuity and connectivity are important aspects of ecological quality. One organic mixed farm contributes to the local diversity. The diversity of land use types, including woodlots and linear planting and crops is larger than on a traditional farm, as is the diversity of landscape elements, ecosystems and species. A fine grained landscape, which can be the effect of organic agriculture, fits best into a natural environment with great abiotic diversity per hectare.The landscape of the brook Baaksche Beek in the Netherlands is such an area with large abiotic diversity per hectare. Three interrelated criteria, diversity, continuity and coherence, are used as a basis for planning at different planning levels. They are specified in planning objectives and design principles for the planning of planting elements and natural development in this brook valley landscape. Whether such planning would interfere excessively with the organisation of each individual farmer is open to discussion. The proposal is to use these three criteria also as a basis for the evaluation of the contribution of organic mixed farms to the ecological and aesthetic quality of a particular European landscape.