Contribution of nomadic livestock husbandry on the creation of alpine and sub alpine formations «NATURA 2000» Areas

Nomadic livestock husbandry has been one of the main activities of people in Greece for centuries. Nomadic way of living consists of the annual, vertical movement of livestock between distinctive rangelands in order to exploit their seasonal plant growth. The use of rangelands, as areas for grazing by livestock and for diary production, created particular landscapes with pseudoalpine ecosystems. The upland areas in Greece are found at an altitude range of 1700 – 2900m., where the temperature usually does not exceed 0oC and they coincide with the alpine and the sub alpine formations «NATURA 2000» areas. A variety of habitats appears in these areas due to variation of ecological conditions, the geological substrate and livestock husbandry, resulting in the appearance of particular types of ecotopes to which rare and endemic species of fauna and flora are connected. The multifunctional role, the benefits and the services that may derive from the alpine landscapes enforce rational and sustainable and multiple use management according to the directives of «NATURA 2000».