Estimation of stocking density and management proposals for the rangelands of the wildfire – stricken Municipalities of Peloponnisos
The resent fires in Peloponnisos, during the summer period of 2007 besides being catastrophic to forests, they also had a significant impact on rangelands and livestock husbandry. After the destruction there was a need to inventory the grazing pressure and make recommendations for rehabilitation of burned rangelands. For these reason, the stocking rate was calculated in the grazed forest lands of the wildfire – stricken Municipalities with the use of GIS, statistical data and land cover/use information of the project Corine Land Cover 2000. The total area of rangelands was reduced by 22% after the wildfires with the largest reduction located in the prefectures of Ilia (46%). In all 6 prefectures, the stocking rate increased by 25% after the wildfires, with the highest values obtained in the prefecture of Ilia, Korinthia and Achaia. It was found that the majority of the burned shrubland and silvopastoral areas (54%) were distributed in soils derived from hard limestone. Based on these findings, the suspension of livestock grazing in calcareous and alluvial soils for about 2 years is suggested until the burned vegetation recovers and at least 3 years in the remaining soil types.
Management of grazing in the burned forest areas of Peloponnese
Every year about 45.000 forest fires happen in Europe and destroy over 500,000 ha of forest areas. In Greece, and in particular in Peloponnese, human lives were lost, livestock herds were burned, houses and facilities were destroyed and thousands hectares of agricultural and forest lands were burned due to wild fires in August 2007. In the framework of the restoration efforts, a survey on the damages caused by the fire and the measures that should be taken was assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture Growth and Foods to specialist from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the National Agricultural Research Foundation (Forest Research Institute and Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems) and the Forest Service. The study presents: 1. Τhe status of the grazing lands (forest and shrublands) before and after the fire, 2. Τhe stocking rate before and after the fire, and 3. Τhe measures that should be taken for the restoration of these grazing lands.
Model development for the effect of fire in pasture lands and the appearance of desertification trends
This paper presents the structure of a simulation model about the cycle of fire and grazing in pasture lands of Greece with the aim of studying the impacts of the major factors governing this cycle leading to degradation and under certain circumstances to desertification. The model includes submodules about the production of grazing material, the consumption of vegetation through grazing, the condition of the rangeland after grazing and the profit loss or gain for the shepherd. The financial outcome for the shepherd is considered as a main motivation to start a fire to increase short term biomass production in order to make a worthwhile profit. The calculation of the motivation and the amount of yearly rainfall are based on a random algorithm, which gives a dynamic aspect to the model. The user determines the length of the simulation (years). Running the model for several years, he/she can draw conclusions about the grazing pressure on the rangeland, the financial result of the enterprise and the likely role of fire in the way the rangeland will be managed. The model was developed in the Netlogo programming language.
The ecology of forest fires in Greece
Fire is an environmental factor naturally occurring in Mediterranean climate ecosystems. Recent fire events though are spreading over higher altitudes and geographically northern latitudes thus affecting non-mediterranean ecosystems. The knowledge of the biology of the affected species and the ecological function of the systems they consist is by far a top priority research task, fundamental for the application of integrated management plans.
A first record of insects harmful to Medicago strasseri, a shrub endemic on Crete
Medicago strasseri Greuter, Matthäs & Risse belongs to one of the three shrubby species of the genus Medicago and is endemic of Crete. As its biotopes are localized in canyons and cliffs except at one islet being at the NW side of Herakleion city it is characterized as an obligatory chasmophyte. Seven taxa of insects harmful for M. strasseri have been recorded for first time worldwide in the context of the present study. The following: Icerya purchasi Maskell (Homoptrera: Margarodidae), Bruchidius sp. Ol. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), Apion sp., (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Aphis craccivora Koch (Homoptera: Aphididae), Thysanoptera, Lepidoptera και Diptera. I. purchasi was found to attack twigs, Bruchidius sp. seeds and Thysanoptera was found inside flowers. A. craccivora, Apion, Lepidoptera and Diptera attacked leaves. Further research should be carried out in order to study the biology and the harm caused by the observed species to M. strasseri as the populations of this species are limited and, according to IUCN criteria, considered as a vulnerable species (VU).
