Dynamic Role and Importance of Multi-Kingdom Communities in Mediterranean Wood-Pastures

Topalidou, Eleni; Solomou, Alexandra D.; Santos, Susana; Krystallidou, Evdokia; Kakara, Styliani; Mantzanas, K.

doi:10.3390/su131810179

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 142 publications

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“…It has been found to be a quite efficient bio-accumulator of zinc (Zn), with its roots able to withhold up to 17,044.54 mg kg −1 DW [133]. However, due to attributes such as restricted distribution and population size, and the need for rather specific ecological and environmental conditions (with habitats being subjected to human-induced degradation), endemic plants are often faced with the danger of extinction, with raised awareness of the matter being noted in recent years [143,160].…”

Section: Plant Selection Criteria For An Effective Phytoremediationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants from the Soil Environment: A Short Review

Solomou¹,

Germani

Proutsos³

et al. 2022

Agriculture

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The use of contaminated soils in food production imposes the need for the reduction in heavy metals concentrations, using various techniques, in order to eliminate the toxic effects of pollution and ensure safety in the consumption of agricultural products. Phytoremediation is a promising, effective, and publicly acceptable method to remove soils’ toxicity. This study aims to investigate the current knowledge on plants’ metal tolerance mechanisms, the use of Mediterranean plants in phytoremediation, and the economic perspective for its application on large scales. A total of 166 research studies were systematically reviewed, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The findings indicate that phytoremediation has more advantages compared to other techniques. It can be a sustainable and affordable option, especially for developing countries, due to the relatively low application and maintenance costs. Many hyperaccumulating plants have been identified that can be used in soil cleansing, enhancing the applicability and replicability of the method. The selection of the appropriate plant species is based on their specific physiological characteristics to remove undesirable elements from the soils and, in certain cases, there is a preference for use of non-native species. However, such species may exhibit invasive behaviors, introducing high uncertainties and risks in the preservation of local ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean zone, since they can have a serious impact on the environmental and ecological dynamics of the local plant communities. The use of native plants is generally more advantageous since they are better acclimated, have no effects on the local ecological balance, and can eliminate the legal restrictions for their use (seed availability, planting, etc.).

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Section: Plant Selection Criteria For An Effective Phytoremediationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants from the Soil Environment: A Short Review

Solomou¹,

Germani

Proutsos³

et al. 2022

Agriculture

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“…The landscape pattern emerges from a judicious combination of grazing and burning processes, supporting cattle, sheep, and goat herds; they are the economic and social basis of an ancestral landless pastoralism culture that pro ts from spontaneous vegetation. (Blondel 2006; Topalidou et al 2021;Velado-Alonso et al 2022). Shepherds traditionally open their corrals every morning to herd their ocks through an intricate mosaic of natural and seminatural vegetation patchesthe grazing domain -until the end of the day when all animals' forage needs must be ful lled (Castro et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

IoT herd monitoring: an opportunity facing the Iberian mountain challenges

Castro

2023

Preprint

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Pastoralism is essential for conserving the Iberian mountain landscapes, mainly through the itinerant grazing of herds of hundreds of goats and sheep. The new IoT technologies applied in this first approach are promising for a new paradigm of this management. We present the results obtained by GNSS devices on herds of goats and sheep in the central mountains of Portugal during the last year's grazing cycle, 2022. The locations of hundreds of daily grazing itineraries resulted in images showing the grazing pressure on the territory. Principal component analysis of these images highlights the primary role of the shepherd in selecting the journey zone and the animals remaining in preferred spots. The sequence of these components seems to analytically translate the articulation of scales inherent to herding processes previously described by several authors. It integrates scales from the broadest of the herder's initial determination of the grazing area to that of the herd's movement to the most detailed of each animal's food preferences at each site. The decisive role of these essential actors - the shepherds - in the management of Iberian rangelands, demonstrated by IoT technologies, should give confidence to policymakers to promote the value chain of extensive, territorially based small ruminant production over those intensive systems that take us away from the goals of sustainable development.

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Effects of grazing on grassland or wood-pasture, slaughtering age and ageing time on meat production and quality in Podolian young bulls

Giannico,

Karatosidi,

Carbonara

et al. 2024

Veterinary Quarterly

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Podolian cattle is an autochthonous breed well adapted to the harsh semi-arid environments of the Southern Italy regions; the extensive rearing system used for these indigenous animals is based on grazing on spontaneous pastures, such as grasslands or wood pastures These grazing systems respect animal welfare and enrich animal products with characteristics closely related to the feeding system and the farming environment. The aim of the present study was to characterize the nutritional value of a forage crop and a wood-pasture and to evaluate the effects of grazing by Podolian young bulls on the performances and meat quality in relation to the age at slaughter (14 or 18 months) and to the ageing time of meat (3, 9 or 14 days). The metabolizable energy and the gas production were greater in April and June for both pasture systems. Young bulls raised on the grassland showed greater slaughter weights ( p < 0.05) as compared to those fed on the woodland system, at both the slaughtering ages. The Warner Bratzler Shear (WBS) force values for raw and cooked meat were not influenced by the pasture system but they significantly ( p < 0.01) decreased in relation to the ageing time in all the groups. Ageing markedly ( p < 0.05) increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration from 3 to 14 days of storage, regardless of the pasture system and the slaughtering age. The n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio of meat was markedly lower in grassland animals, regardless of the age of slaughter. In conclusion, 18 months old grassland beef showed better performances and yield of meat cuts. Ageing for 9 days positively affected meat WBS without increasing MDA concentration.

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Dynamic Role and Importance of Multi-Kingdom Communities in Mediterranean Wood-Pastures

Cited by 5 publications

References 142 publications

Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants from the Soil Environment: A Short Review

Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants from the Soil Environment: A Short Review

IoT herd monitoring: an opportunity facing the Iberian mountain challenges

Effects of grazing on grassland or wood-pasture, slaughtering age and ageing time on meat production and quality in Podolian young bulls

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