Rare bovine breeds in the transboundary Prespa Park
The populations and characteristics of the shorthorn cattle breed and the Greek water-buffalo in the transboundary Prespa Park, an area covering the basins of Lakes Micro and Macro Prespa in the three neighboring countries (Albania, Greece, FYR of Macedonia) are briefly presented in this paper. Some authors consider the shorthorn cattle in this particular area a distinct type of the brachyceros breed. Efforts to safeguard and preserve it in the study area, in combination with the conservation of traditional rearing methods, seem to have had positive results only in the Albanian part of the Park, where important populations are still maintained (>300 individuals). On the contrary, in the Greek side various socio-economic factors, such as the unwillingness of young people to continue working in animal husbandry, occupation in the more profitable tourism sector, and the introduction of improved breeds in the past, contributed to the almost complete elimination of the breed. The population of the Greek water-buffalo, which was re-introduced in 1997, is increasing and used as a basic tool for the management of extensive wet meadow areas in the littoral zone of Lake Micro Prespa in the framework of a long-term restoration program. These two domestic animals breeds are perfectly adapted to the local environmental conditions, need minimal care, and constitute distinctive elements of the biodiversity of protected areas in Prespa. Conservation of these two breeds is deemed necessary through their: a) (re-)introduction in the primary sector on an organized commercial basis aiming at the production of safe local high quality products, b) further utilization as nature management tools (grazing in littoral areas and shrub-forest-lands), and c) use as additional means to highlight the unique biodiversity of the Prespa Park.
Plant cover influences on the use of microhabitats by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) in recently burned rangelands
The aim of this research was to investigate the influences of vegetation characteristics on the use of microhabitats by the European hare (Lepus europaeus). For this purpose, 10 rangelands, which have been burned in 2007 and inhabited by the hare, were selected in the western Peloponnese. In these areas, the use of microhabitats with different levels of plant cover (0-25%, 25.1-50%, 50.1-75%, 75.1- 100%) by the hare was evaluated using the pellet count method during the summer of 2009. The hare used more often the microhabitats with minimum plant cover (0-25%) whereas as the plant cover was increased the use of the microhabitats by the hare was reduced. These results along with those obtained in recent studies, i.e. the hare uses more often the sites with low vegetation height suggest that the vegetation characteristics constitute an important agent able to influence the behaviour and the movements of the hare. As a consequence, grazing, fire as well as any factor capable of reducing the density and the height of the vegetation could be used as a ‘tool’ for the management of habitats and populations of the hare in order to combine the grazing and the game in the same time-space.
The significance of grazing in intensively reared flocks of Chios breed of sheep
The objective of this study was to assess the significance of grazing in intensively reared flocks of dairy sheep. The research involved 66 flocks of the Chios dairy sheep with a questionnaire designed to evaluate management characteristics, pasture availability, productivity level and incidence of lameness (as a welfare indicator). The variables “pasture area per ewe”, “daily grazing time during winter” and “daily grazing time during summer” were separated into three classes and used as independent variables for the consequent one-way analyses of variances. There was a significant positive correlation between the duration of grazing and pasture area per ewe (P≤0.001) and a negative correlation between grazing area per ewe and incidence of lameness (P≤0.05). In flocks that grazing was a common practice the amount of alfalfa hay consumed was significantly lower (P≤0.05). Moreover, in these flocks ewes were milked twice per day in comparison to three milkings implemented in non-grazing flocks (P≤0.05). When comparisons were made between milk production and economic benefit per ewe among the three classes, there were not any significant differences. Finally, lower incidence of lameness in intensively reared grazing flocks represents a positive finding for the welfare of sheep.
Inventory and evaluation of silvopastoral systems in the Vertiscos municipality of Lagadas county, Thessaloniki Greece
Silvopastoral systems are a traditional and sustainable land use system in Greece and the Mediterranean region in general. So far there has been no detailed survey system to map and evaluate them. The aim of this paper was to develop a methodology for inventorying and assessing silvopastoral systems in the Vertiskos municipality of the Lagadas county in Greece. At first, a procedure was applied to map the land use/cover types of the area by means of the Geographic Information Systems that involved digital processing of satellite data (Google Earth) and forest orthophotomaps. Furthermore, field work was done for evaluating silvopastoral systems by using 15 indicators of rangeland health. They were found 13 silvopastoral systems occupying 17% of the total area, while the assessment of rangeland health showed that the majority of silvopastoral areas are in good health condition. Main problems of the area are the increase of woody understory biomass in the silvopastoral systems that create a high risk for wild fires and result in the reduction of the landscape diversity.
Contribution of Rangelands in the development of farming systems in the north part of Evros prefecture
Traditionally, extensive husbandry is a fundamental activity for the north part of Evros prefecture. However, no integrated rangeland management plan exists for this area, resulting in uncontrolled distribution of the grazing animals in space and time. Consequently, rangelands are degraded either by overgrazing or by undergrazing. The aim of this research was to evaluate the existing condition of the rangelands of North Evros and to formulate an integrated management plan. Eight experimental areas were established in grasslands, shrublands and silvopastural systems in the regions of Derio, Pentalofos and Pragi. In each of these areas permanent plots were fenced in the autumn of 2008, in order to protect them from grazing so as to evaluate the effects of grazing and to calculate vegetation utilization. Plant cover, floristic composition, herbage yield were measured and grazing capacity was calculated. In Pragi plant cover, herbage yield and grazing capacity were high while the utilization percentage was low. In the contrary, in Dereio plant cover was high, while herbage yield and grazing capacity were low and utilization percentage was high. In Pentalofos plant cover, herbage yield and grazing capacity were moderate while the utilization percentage was low. It seems that Pragi rangelands were undergrazing while in Dereio were overgrazed. Therefore, a proper grazing management in space and time is necessary for the proper utilization of the rangelands by the farmers.
