Robustess, rusticity, flexibility, placticity… the quality new criteria of farm animals : systemic and biological definitions of the various concepts

Abstract

The global topic of this introduction deals with the adaptation of systems to perturbations. The study of the modalities of this adaptation implicates various terms, notions and definitions. Thus, the notions of rigidity, elasticity, flexibility and plasticity… are known in numerous sciences : physics, sociology, economy, animal biology and farming systems. The systemic approach allows considering the various aspects of the adaptation of systems into a generic frame largely admitted and modelling this adaptation constitutes a current challenge to researchers.