The role of pastoral landscape within the mountainous space

Abstract

In Romania, in the mountainous area, due to the less favourable life environment, the man created, in the extent of the possibilities, conditions to live and livelihoods, radically transforming the region. As study area, we chose Gârda de Sus commune, where the exploitation of resources maintains even nowadays traditional techniques. The grasslands, in general, have a very important part in locals’ life, because they represent the base of animal growing both during summer time, as well as during the indoor in winter time, the hay being the only accessible fodder. The pastoral landscape, especially, and the mountainous one in general, have been studied through the landscape elements formed as result of human activities in time. The managing practices of land have created a mosaic landscape dominated by landscape elements which individualises it. Among these, the following distinguish themselves: enclosures, rocks piles, isolated trees, lopped spruces, Fagus with contorted trunk, houses with roof made of spruce and fir branches, hay stacks, fallowed terraces, enclosed arable land patches, forest grazing, meadows with plum trees, permanent and seasonal houses traditionally built, houses built at high altitude etc.