Range management and forestry

The rangelands of Greece constitute the ιnain national asset of the primary production of the triptych “forestrylivestock- agriculture. They coιnprise all those areas which are not suitable for intensive forest or agricultural developιnent and are ιnainly covered by phryganic, herbaceous and shrubby vegetation or mixed with sparse forest trees. The obsolete forest law and the coιnplex land tenure, mainly based on use rights and titles froιn the Ottoman occupation suspend the development of forestry and range management. The lack of national land survey or national land use planning as well as the improper exploitation of productive land are the main factors of the unclear limits between forests, arable lands and pastures and they are responsible for the bad management of forest ecosysteιns and rangelands. Today, the management of the mountainous forest areas must be changed and crried out according to the multiple use principle and the needs of the modem man. The use of forest resources must be done according to the forest supply of goods and services, without overlooking the utilisation of rangelands for livestock products. The forests and pastures must be balanced and the extension forester should undertake the difficult work of management of forest areas, with the simultaneous development of forestry and range management.