Distribution of passerines in grassland and wood habitats
During spring and summer of 2002 the variety and distribution of passerines were studied in grasslands, shrublands (sparse and dense) and oak wood in Langadas province of Thessaloniki. The vegetation structure, which is mostly affected by the grazing pressure, influences the composition and distribution of bird fauna. During the study, a total of 125 point counts and line transects were carried out. During these counts 43 bird species were recorded. Diversity Index and Evenness was higher in dense shrublands and oak woods and lower in grasslands. The grasslands were proved to be the most degraded habitats for passerines where the most common species were Magpie (Pica pica) and Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). The most common species in sparse shrublands was Corn bunting (Miliaria calandra), while in the dense shrublands was Black-headed bunting (Emberiza melanocephala). Certain species were selective to the type of habitat they chose and this was obvious both in woodlands and in grasslands. The four different habitats vary as regards the passerines’ community allocated in them, with the oak forests and the grasslands presenting the greatest diversity. Grazing seems to have a favourable effect on passerines variability in shrublands but not in grasslands. The excessive grazing pressure in grasslands seems to have a favorable effect on certain bird species that by their dominance seems to affect negatively the passerines diversity.
Investigation on range and game development on Kallidromon mountain
Grazing pressure on Kallidromon mountain has been decreased for the last 20 years and the number of farm animals grazing today is far less than the area’s grazing capacity. Naturally, a high and dense scrubland dominated by kermes oak was created, which is unsuitable and inaccessible even from goats. Dropping count method showed that hares also avoid this scrubland. As a consequence, area’s grazing production is improperly utilized, while the area, a formerly attractive and frequently used game area is nowadays a place where hunting is diminished. Directions concerning the range and game improvement of the area are given in this article.
Botanical composition of the diet of the hare (Lepus europaeus) in Thessaly, Greece
The hare, in contrast to other species of lagomorphs, is a species that is very selective onccerning its diet. The major part of the hare diet is constituted of the green parts of plants, mostly belonging to the Poaceae family. The variety in the diet of the hare depends on the availability of plant species in each habitat in each season. In this paper we present the results of a study on the composition of the diet of the hare in Thessaly; the study took place in the period 1997-2000. More particularly, 318 stomachs of hares were analyzed for their composition; the specimens were collected from hunters during the 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000 hunting seasons. For the identification of the plant remnants that were found in the stomachs of the samples a reference collection was created by plants of the species habitat. During the stomach content analysis 181 plant taxa were identified, of which 112 to the level of the species, 66 to the level of the genus, and 3 to the level of the family. In the total sample 58 taxa, that is 43 species and 15 genera, belonged to the Poaceae family and made up approximately 36% (frequency of occurence) of the hare diet for the period September-January. The species of the genera: Poa, Festuca, Bromus, Lolium and Triticum constituted the majority of the graminoid species that were consumed by the hare. Other important plant species that were identified were: Euphorbia sp. (13,6%), Trifolium sp., Medicago sp., Viscum album, Cerastium sp., and fruits and nuts from trees and shrubs, such as Pyrus malus, Cornus sp., Pyrus amygdaliformis and Crataegus sp. The vast majority of the plant species that constitute the diet of the hare were wild, non-cultivated species, with the exception of some cereals such as wheat, rye and some legumes.
Mechanical approach to the improvement of meadows management
During the recent years the applications of modern machinery and the use of methods were considered necessary for all works and certainly in works which deal with the management and the improvement of pasturelands and meadows. The development of machinery has led to their equipment with electronic settings and automations. All these mechanisms, which are multivarious, are helpful for the determination and the increase of efficiency as well as to the decrease of the production cost. In this paper was carried out the determination of the theoretical efficiency of a modern seeding- machinery in a meadow from the instant volume (m3/s) and the weight (kg/s) of grains based on the working width and the speed forwarding. In order to carry out the determination of efficiency of the specific seeding machinery it has been used the modern technology by which it is equipped and concerns the support of micro-computers as well as the sensors of various types.
The grazing problem in the forests of Akamas peninsula in Cyprus
The Akamas peninsula is the northwestern end of Cyprus and it covers an area of 17.770 ha. Among them, 10.000 ha are private properties, 7.180 ha form the Akamas forests complex and the remaining are state land. The Akamas forests complex consists of the Akamas forest with an area of 5.809 ha, the Pegeia forest with an area of 1.360 ha and the Meleti forest with an area of 18 ha. There are eight villages and one municipality in the Akamas peninsula. At the largest part of the peninsula the vegetation is composed of Mediterranean shrubs known as maquis. The maquis are divided into two categories, the “high maquis” dominated by Juniperus phoenicea and the “low maquis” dominated by the Pistacia lentiscus, Salvia fruticosa and Cistus sp. The agricultural land is mainly covered by vines, carob trees, olive trees and cereals. The purpose of this research was to describe the current situation specific in peninsula and provide suggestions for solving the grazing problem. Livestock husbandry is highly developed in the area. According to the official census data of 2002, they graze 28.200 sheep and goats in the area. Among them, 13.200 animals graze both in private lands and state forests and 15.000 graze only in private lands. From the 13.200 animals that graze in private lands and state forests, 11.000 are goats and 2.200 sheep. Grazing is practiced according to the village system without transhumance, with or without the presence of a shepherd. The large number of goats in the area in combination with the absence of shepherds create serious overgrazing problems, which are very obvious in some particular areas.
