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2.RECENTCHANGESOFWAYSOFLIFEANDLIVELIHOODINTHESPANISH...
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huntinggroundsarelocated(MadridinrelationtoLasVilluercasandtheTie
´tar
Valley,BilbaowiththeCantabrianandIberianmountainareas,thecentralurban
regionofAsturiaswiththeCantabrianmountains).
Inallstudiedmountainareas,theorganizationofterritoryandlandscape
modelingistheresultofasecularconfigurationprocessthathasitsrootsinthe
MiddleAges,inthecollectivesocialorganizationoflivestockandagriculturaluse
ofland.Thetraditionalfarmingactivityheretakesadvantageofdifferencesin
altitudeandofalternationofsummits,hillsidesandsmallplainstoconsolidate
thecomplementarityoflivestockandagriculturallanduse.Thathasresultedin
complexagrarianlandscapes:enclosedmeadows(Asturias,Cantabria,Las
Merindades,theMountainofAlava,LaSerrota,theSierradeBejar-Candelario,
andtheHighlandsofSoria)andcerealplotsinopenfields,butcollectivelyfenced.
TheintensetransformationsthathaveoccurredintheSpanishagricultural
sectorsincethemid-20thcenturytothepresent,firstasaresultofthe
requirementsofthemarketeconomy,andlateroftheadaptationtotheCommon
AgriculturalPolicyandtheincreasingmarketliberalization,havehadaclear
impactonthemountaincounties.Themaincauseislinkedtothefastrateof
abandonmentoffarmingactivityduetothepoorprofitabilityofmostfarms.
Althoughinthelastyearsthesituationhasbeguntoimproveduetothe
concentrationandintensificationofthefarms,thepersistenceofmanyofthemis
stillveryproblematic.Mostofthosewhichhavesurvivedoweittotheincreaseof
thehouseholdincomeswithrevenuesunrelatedtoagriculturalsectorinthe
placeswheretheruraleconomyhasbeguntobediversified(theHernioMassif,
theTie
´tarValleye.g.)andthewagelabormarketoutsidethefarmhasbeen
developed.
InSpanishmountainareasthreewaysofagrarianusehavebeentraditionally
carriedout.Inpreferableplacesuntiltodayapredominantvocationhasbeen
livestockexploitation,usuallywithextensiveanditinerantsystemsbetweenthe
winterpasturesofthevalleybottomsandthesummerhighpastures.Second,
exploitationoftheautochthonousforestsorreafforestationofthesteepestand
highestslopes.Ontheotherhand,thereareagriculturalcropsinthevalleysand
flatterareasclosertothepopulationcenters,withsmallparcelsgroupedin
succinctenclosedareas.
Foralongtimethetraditionalagriculturalsystemshavejusthadaresidual
presenceinsomemountainousareas.Inrecentdecadestheprocessesof
extensificationhavebeengeneralizedbecauseofconsolidationoflandusesthat
consumelesslabor(extensivelivestockandforestry)andtheproductive
specialization(meatranching,fruit)thatbesidesbeingacommondenominator,
resultedinthereductionoftheworkforceandthesimplificationofruraland
agriculturallandscapes.
Everytimethelivestockfarmingcontinuestogrowtoagreaterextent.Itis
akeypillarofagrarianactivityasaresultoftheevolutionarydynamicsofthefinal
yearsofthe20thcenturywhenthepotentialofthelivestocksubstantially
increased.Thus,theextensiveorsemi-extensivelivestock,whichhadsurvivedfor
