Evaluation of the impact of agricultural practices on the cynegetic value of the environment by means of indicators

In the last 30 years, Alsace went from a paradise to a cynegetic desert. The changes in the agricultural techniques are the major cause. That is the reason why hunters wish to promote agricultural practices which have favourable impacts on the wild fauna. To do that, they need diagnosis tools to appreciate the impact of those practices. The aim of this work consists in the elaboration of indicators which characterize the cynegetic value of the environment. We point out six cultural practices which have an impact on the fauna : management of pesticides and water, cropping plan, soil covering non productive structures and mechanical interventions. These impacts are expressed in the form of an evaluation module, which will constitute the indicator of cynegetic value, after aggregation. These modules correspond to the relations derived from scientific knowledge and data easily available on farms. As an example, the calculus of the module "soil cover * wild fauna" is given and its feasibility is tested on two farms. These results shaw that monoculture of maize is not ideal in regard to the cynegetic value of the environment contrary to a more diversified crop rotation with an important part of winter cereals in the cropping plan.