Nos alpages, an ancestral alpine agroecology by Jean-Marcel Dorioz, INRA research director emeritus

The aim of the outing is to describe the key components (soils, vegetation, herds) and functions of mountain pastures in a high-mountain environment. Two major current issues, biodiversity and agro-ecology, will be discussed.

For centuries, mountain pastures have been, and still are in a large part of the Savoie mountains, at the heart of the agricultural systems of the high valleys. They represent vast high-altitude pastoral domains, which are farmed and developed productively in a context of severe constraints due to (1) topography (remoteness, slopes and stones), (2) strong uncertainties in terms of weather and natural hazards, (3) massive declines in natural fertility created by the acidification of many soils... But in the face of all this, alpine pastures have a long-recognized privilege for livestock farming: that of an ultra-specific herbaceous flora ("alpine terroir") and a highly differentiated plant cover (in response to the variety of topoclimates and soils), which ensures a supply of high-quality grass for the herd well into the grazing season. The art of the alpacist and the shepherd is, on the one hand, to make the most of these constraints and, on the other hand, to match this supply, by adapting its spatial and temporal variability, with the demand of the herd.
The output aims to describe the key components and functions of the alpine pasture system, i.e. soils, vegetation and grazing herds, the dynamics of these components and their interactions. Functioning will be related to the major forces controlling the state of the system: rocks (lithology), topography, material flows in soils and landscapes, diversity of alpine pasture functions in alpine farms. A general discussion will attempt to identify how alpine pastures help us to reflect on two of today's major issues: biodiversity and agro-ecology.

RDV: 9 a.m. at the gondola departure point in the village of Le Tour (parking at a moderate rate).
Maximum 12 participants - Registration and payment on https://www.helloasso.com/associations/association-des-reserves-nationnales-des-aiguilles-rouges-arnar/evenements/arnar-sortie-jeudi-4-septembre-2025-nos-alpages-une-agro-ecologie-alpine

Allow 3-4 hours walking plus 1h30-2h discussion in the field
Picnic and summer hiking equipment (poles and sturdy shoes recommended for walking in the mountain pastures).