Animal husbandry and desertification in the mountain of Psilorites in Crete

Degradation of rangelands in the Psilorites mountain of Crete is the result of various parameters, both natural-environmental and anthropogenic. Wildfires set by shepherds to control the undesirable to animals vegetation, illegal forest cuttings and irrational grazing by domestic animals are the primary causes for this degradation. These practises result in the reduction of the productive potential of rangelands and accelerated soil erosion. Due to the long-lasting action of these factors, the environment has been degraded and become incapable of supporting several organisms, and the ecosystems have suffered long-term changes in their structure, composition of vegetation, and plant and animal diversity. This paper is a review of the existing literature on the relations between animal husbandry and desertification at the Psilorites mountain of Crete. It comes out that desertification leads to the gradual homogenisation of the landscape, the reduction of biodiversity of ecosystems and quite frequently in the gradual replacement of natural forest and evergreen vegetation by phrygana, which are undesirable to animals.  Based on this information, management actions are suggested for the rational application of livestock husbandry in Psilorites, with emphasis on the protection of rangelands as well as the development of animal husbandry.