Prediction of grassland values by phytosociological or agronomical approach
Résumé
At the European scale, grassland classifications and policies are mainly based on a phytosociological
approach. However, agronomists use other classifications, such as agronomical typologies, indicators,
models, measurements of forage yield or quality. Grasslands in the Vosges Mountains (north-eastern
France, 170 - 1,424 m a.s.l., 7,000 + km2) have been studied following these two approaches in the last few
years. Are these methods redundant or complementary? We compared a phytosociological classification
made by botanists based on a sample of 550 grasslands and an agronomical classification from the study
of 233 grasslands. This work did not show equivalences between the two approaches: the prediction of
grasslands’ ecological and agronomical values requires the association of both approaches. We, therefore,
propose that current grassland classifications need both agronomical and phytosociological criteria in
order to provide complete information on ecosystems and sustainable production.