Role of Hellenic Range and Pasture Society in Technology Interaction and Policy Evolution

The Hellenic Range and Pasture Society (HRPS) was founded in 1992 and is a non-profit scientific association. It is composed of 74 members with a common interest in the study, management, and rational use of rangelands and related ecosystems (e.g. pasturelands). The objectives for which the corporation was established are: a) to develop an understanding of rangeland ecosystems and of the principles applicable to the management of rangeland resources (soil, plants, water, and animals), b) to assist all who work with rangelands and pasturelands to keep abreast of new findings and techniques in the science and art of rangeland and pasture management, c) to create a public appreciation of the economic and social benefits to be obtained from the rangeland environment, and d) to promote professional development of its members

Silvopastoral Systems: Analyses of an Alternative to Open Swards

Silvopasture is a sustainable land use management practiced in most continents in the world including parts of southern Europe, but is not broadly used in northern and western Europe. The importance of this practice has been recognised and the last draft of the EU regulation by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/capreform/rurdevprop_en.pdf) includes specifically funding for establishment of agroforestry practices in Europe. This paper discusses the advantages of managing semi intensive grassland within a silvopastoral system from an ecological, productive and social point of view in the south, south-central and western countries of Europe

Comparative assessment of goods and services provided by grazing regulation and reforestation in degraded Mediterranean rangelands

Several management actions are applied to restore ecosystem services in degraded Mediterranean rangelands, which range from adjusting the grazing pressure to the removal of grazers and pine plantations. Four such actions were assessed in Quercus coccifera L. shrublands in northern Greece: (i) moderate grazing by goats and sheep; (ii) no grazing; (iii) no grazing plus pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) plantation in forest gaps (gap reforestation); and (iv) no grazing plus full reforestation of shrubland areas, also with P. pinaster. In addition, heavy grazing was also assessed to serve as a control action. We comparatively assessed the impact of these actions on key provisioning, regulating and supporting ecosystem services by using ground‐based indicators. Depending on the ecosystem service considered, the management actions were ranked differently. However, the overall provision of services was particularly favoured under moderate and no grazing management options, with moderate grazing outranking any other action in provisioning services and the no grazing action presenting the most balanced provision of services. Pine reforestations largely contributed to water and soil conservation and C sequestration but had a negative impact on plant diversity when implemented at the expense of removing natural vegetation in the area. Heavy grazing had the lowest provision of ecosystem services. It is concluded that degraded rangelands can be restored by moderating the grazing pressure rather than completely banning livestock grazing or converting them into pine plantations

Current extent of agroforestry in Europe

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Agroforestry for high value tree systems in Europe

Most farm-based agroforestry projects focus on the integration of trees on arable or livestock enterprises. This paper focuses on the integration of understorey crops and/or livestock within high value tree systems (e.g., apple orchards, olive groves, chestnut woodlands, and walnut plantations), and describes the components, structure, ecosystem services and economic value of ten case studies of this type of agroforestry across Europe. Although their ecological and socio-economic contexts vary, the systems share some common characteristics. The primary objective of the farmer is likely to remain the value of tree products like apples, olives, oranges, or nuts, or particularly high value timber. However there can still be production, environmental or economic benefits of integrating agricultural crops such as chickpeas and barley, or grazing an understorey grass crop with livestock. Three of the systems focused on the grazing of apple orchards with sheep in the UK and France. The introduction of sheep to apple orchards can minimise the need for mowing and provide an additional source of revenue. Throughout the Mediterranean, there is a need to improve the financial viability of olive groves. The case studies illustrate the possibility of intercropping traditional olive stands with chickpea in Greece, or the intercropping of wild asparagus in high density olive groves in Italy. Another system studied in Greece involves orange trees intercropped with chickpeas. Stands of chestnut trees in North-west Spain can provide feed for pigs when the fruit falls in November, and provide an excellent habitat for the commercial production of edible mushrooms. In Spain, in the production of high quality walnut trees using rotations of up to 50–60 years, there are options to establish a legume-based mixed pasture understorey and to introduce sheep to provide financial and environmental benefits

Integrating knowledge exchange and the assessment of dryland management alternatives – A learning-centered participatory approach

The adoption of sustainable land management strategies and practices that respond to current climate and human pressures requires both assessment tools that can lead to better informed decision-making and effective knowledge-exchange mechanisms that facilitate new learning and behavior change. We propose a learning-centered participatory approach that links land management assessment and knowledge exchange and integrates science-based data and stakeholder perspectives on both biophysical and socio-economic attributes. We outline a structured procedure for a transparent assessment of land management alternatives, tailored to dryland management, that is based on (1) principles of constructivism and social learning, (2) the participation of stakeholders throughout the whole assessment process, from design to implementation, and (3) the combination of site-specific indicators, identified by local stakeholders as relevant to their particular objectives and context conditions, and science-based indicators that represent ecosystem services of drylands worldwide. The proposed procedure follows a pattern of eliciting, challenging, and self-reviewing stakeholder perspectives that aims to facilitate learning. The difference between the initial baseline perspectives and the final self-reviewed stakeholder perspectives is used as a proxy of learning. We illustrate the potential of this methodology by its application to the assessment of land uses in a Mediterranean fire-prone area in East Spain. The approach may be applied to a variety of socio-ecological systems and decision-making and governance scales.The PRACTICE protocol was developed in the framework of the project PRACTICE: Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification. An integrated Assessment, funded by the European Commission (GA226818). This research was also funded by the European project CASCADE (GA283068), and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship of the European Union (GA 629677) “S4S, Science for Society Solutions”, awarded to B.J.O

Factors Involved in the Decline of Annual Ryegrass Seeded on Burned Brushlands in California

The effect of amount of mulch, nitrogen fertilizer, and clipping frequency was studied on herbage and seed production of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) seeded on a burned brushland in California. The experiment was continued for 2 years but, in the second year, actual grazing by meadow mice (Microtus californicus) was substituted for the clipping treatment. Available nitrogen in the soil was found deficient in both years but the deficiency was more pronounced in the relatively dry year. Meadow mice reduced herbage and seed yields significantly in the second year. It is concluded that the decline of annual ryegrass in burned brushlands is associated with a corresponding decline through immobilization of available soil nitrogen released by brush burning.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Stubble Height, Basal Cover, and Herbage Production Relationships in Grasslands of Northern Greece

Leaving an amount of mulch at the end of the grazing period, before the new growing season starts is vital in maintaining productivity in grasslands on a sustained yield basis. Mulch was expressed as stubble height at 6 levels (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 cm) and was related to basal cover and herbage production attained at the end of the growing season for 5 consecutive years. The research was conducted on 3 perennial grassland sites with a Mediterranean-type climate, representing the low, middle, and high (subalpine) ecological zones in northern Greece. Bare soil was significantly increased with nearly all stubble heights as compared to the control while mulch cover had an opposite response. There were significant changes in the absolute cover of the dominant species, especially perennial bunchgrasses, but the overall grass and forb cover was not significantly affected. Stubble heights of 12 or 15 cm at the low site and 6 to 15 cm at the other two sites produced the highest yields. These were not significantly different from the control, indicating that the middle and the high sites can withstand closer grazing than the low site.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Effects of Season and Frequency of Burning on a Phryganic Rangeland in Greece

Phryganic rangelands dominated by Sarcopoterium spinosum, a thorny and unpalatable dwarf shrub, are a common vegetation type over the eastern Mediterranean countries. In such a rangeland of northern Greece, the effect of early spring and fall burning, applied once, twice, and three times in a 3-year period, was studied. Season of burning did not have any significant effect on the dominant shrub. Frequency of burning, however, significantly reduced the plant yields but altered species composition only slightly and had no effect on soil organic matter and acidity. Burning has only temporary effects on phryganic rangelands due to the high regeneration capacity of the component species. If prescribed, fire can be used a a tool to suppress the shrub and increase the availability of herbage for the benefit of the grazing animals.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Rangeland Production and Annual Rainfall Relations in the Mediterranean Basin and in the African Sahelo Sudanian Zone

The study of the relationships between annual rainfall and range production in the Mediterranean Basin and the Sahelian Sudanian tropical zones of Africa shows a close correlation between average range production and average rainfall over large geographic areas. For a given amount of rain, net production is higher in the Mediterranean than in the Sahel. The regressions developed show that, on the average, each millimeter of rainfall produces 2 kg/ha of consumable dry matter, or 0.66 Scandinavian Feed Units (FU), in the Mediterranean, whereas in the Sahelian and Sudanian zones these figures drop to 1 kg/ha and 0.40 FU.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202