Land uses diachronic changing control with photogrammetrical methods
The land-planning development of the mountainous regions, presupposes diachronic control of the land uses in the four basic axes of development, meaning agricultural, stock-breeding (rangeland), housing-urban and forest use. Therefore previous land uses were compared with contemporary ones. The problem of recording previous land uses can only be solved with photogrammetry application and old aerial photos. Thus in the frames of this paper, maps of land uses of previous years were compared with maps of land uses of contemporary years, under the aim of aerial photos and analytical photogrammetrical instrument (ADAM ASP 2000), in characteristic regions of Greece. From the comparison of the maps conclusions concerning the predominating land use and the tendencies, of the shaped land uses, were drawn.
The application of G.I.S. in the inventory of rangelands at the Hortiatis community of Thessaloniki
The rangelands are an essential natural resource of Hortiatis, because they cover more than 67% of the total area of the community. The classification of rangelands has been made with modern techniques through G.I.S. software and field work. Every unit was classified in a certain productivity class, according to the ecological site, the rangeland health, the elevation zone, the bioclimatic characteristics and the soil type.
Assessment of grazing effects on the Mediterranean shrub Phillyrea latifolia L. with developmental instability and fractal analysis
Developmental instability was used in this study and was expressed as translational and fluctuating asymmetries as well as fractal dimension in order to assess the effects of different levels of grazing pressure by goats on a dominant and palatable species of Mediterranean shrublands, i.e. Phillyrea latifolia L. Treatments included lightly, moderately and heavily grazed areas as well as an ungrazed area as a control. Measurements were carried out in thirty shrubs in each treatment. The fluctuating asymmetry analysis revealed higher asymmetry of leaves in the grazed treatments than in the control. The lower parts (below 1.5m height), reached by goats, also attained larger values of asymmetry in comparison to the upper parts (above 1.5m height) of the shrubs, not reached by goats. Moreover, fractal dimension of branches was lower in the grazed treatments in comparison to the ungrazed ones, as well as in the lower parts compared to the upper parts of the shrubs. However, the results of translational asymmetry analysis showed that grazed shrubs were developmentally more stable than the ungrazed ones. These results suggest that Phillyrea is very tolerant to grazing. It is concluded that developmental instability and fractal dimension are useful tools in assessing the differential response of Mediterranean key species to grazing impact. In addition, evidence is provided of the manifestation of developmental instability as a result of environmental disturbance under the same genetic basis.
Management of the pseudoalpine rangelands of the Grammos mountain
The crowns of the high mountains have been worldwide recognized as sensitive ecosystems and the preservation of their special bio-physical characteristics stand in need of a special management. The pseudoalpine rangelands of the Grammos mountain are representatives of that kind. The pioneered Special Management Plan of the Grammos Sub-alpine Rangelands was compiled and the main goal of the protection and sustain of the sensitive and valuable characteristics of the environment was initially set up, instead of the expected income that would be probably saved by a standard management for clearly husbandry purposes. Ten Rangeland Units were distinguished and it was found that the 36% of their total area were undergrazed. Specific actions were deposited for each Rangeland Unit concerning the spatial and temporal livestock adjustment, based on the rules of protection and improving of the natural potential of these areas. Comparisons among the present condition and that of 20 years ago have been also made.
Effects of fertilization and grazing on the nutrient quantity of a grassland
The experiment was conducted on a grassland located at Andigonia, Kilkis, Northern Greece. Calcium-ammonium nitrate was used as the source of N and super phosphate was the source of P2O3. Three levels of fertilization (0, 100:100 and 200:100 kg/ha) and three levels of grazing (0, 0,8 and 1,6 sheep/ha/year) were used. The quantity of N and P in the standing production was increased by fertilization. On the contrary, grazing decreased them. In addition, fertilization increased the available phosphorus of the soil, without changing the organic nitrogen, while grazing decreased them.
