Improvement of kermes oak shrublands for sustainable use by livestock

Shrublands dominated by kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera L.) cover large areas in Greece and constitute iιnportant sources of feed to livestock, especially goats. Due to their irrational use in the past and the socioeconomic changes in rural areas in the last few decades, these shrublands have been seriously degraded. Their dominant problem is the wildfires that pastoralists set in order to open up and thus improve them for grazing of their aniιnals. Despite their degradation, kermes oak shrublands have a high production potential provided that it is properly exploited. The main goal in their improvement should to increase the available forage to livestock without impairing their soil protection role and other multiple uses they provide. In this paper, several improvement methods, such as clearing, clearcutting, topping, prescribed buming, fertilization and thinning, are discussed together with proper grazing of the improved areas while eιnphasis is given on management of wild bumed shrublands.