In arder to help to take into account the space in the study of the management of grasslands, the authors first of ali developed a theoretical reflection. They suggest a first mode!, that of the agrarian system, linking space to agricultural actors and activities. A second mode! defines the different statuses of space: space-resource, space-product and space-factor in relation to this agricultural activity. These models are associated with the idea of spatial structure in arder to highlight types of questions relating to the management of grasslands. The authors then illustrate their reflection with the concrete case of management of high mountain grasslands in the Alps.