Effect of browsing by ungulates on sapling growth of Scots pine in a Mediterranean environment: consequences for forest regeneration

Celaya

Small Ruminant Research

et al. 2012

a b s t r a c tGoats have developed in harmony with local conditions of climate, terrain, vegetation, and even pathogens over centuries in many areas, while they have been blamed of causing environment degradation in other ones. The paper summarizes the situation of goat's population worldwide, the status of the breeds and the multiple implications of their conservation, the interactions of goats with other animal species (wild or domestic) and the main issues regarding the consequences of goat grazing from the environmental point of view. It underlines that most of the environmentally harmful effects of goat grazing arise from improper management practices at very high grazing pressures whereas goat grazing can be a useful tool for conservation if managed adequately. Moderate grazing pressures can be compatible with high levels of biodiversity and provide externalities, whereas high intensity at short term can be a valuable tool for weed control. Goat genetic heritage is seriously threatened and requires more studies and greater support from national and international institutions, in parallel with other efforts in rural development, especially for remote areas which hold an outstanding reservoir of livestock diversity adapted to the local conditions and managed by impoverished communities. A multidisciplinary approach of scientists, policy makers, rangeland managers and local communities is required for the design of future sustainable management plans.

Section: Interaction Of Goats With Wild Herbivoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Goat grazing, its interactions with other herbivores and biodiversity conservation issues

Celaya

Small Ruminant Research

et al. 2012

“…Ironically, while two decades ago these animals were listed as endangered species, they turned out to be a social cost. In fact, their population is growing with damage to ecosystems [1][2][3], economic losses in forestry and agriculture [4][5][6][7], increased risk of zoonotic diseases [8,9], and increased frequency of vehicle collisions [10][11][12]. Due to this overpopulation, management and containment strategies have been developed, with a cost for public institutions and an increase in culling rates, as well as availability of game meat [13][14][15][16] 854/2004), hunters are considered primary food producers (such as farmers and breeders) and, under certain conditions, they can sell the game they harvest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Value Chain of Hunted Red Deer Meat: A Scenario Analysis Based on a Northern Italian Case Study

2018

Although in recent decades, meat from hunted wild ungulates has shown interesting results in terms of market opportunities, the scientific literature is still lacking in economic studies concerning the estimation of the meat's value for involved stakeholders. We present an analysis of the evolution of price in the local red deer meat supply chain. This analysis has been conducted through a survey based on in-depth interviews with the stakeholders involved in an Italian local supply chain. Findings derived from this study describe a case study, however, they also represent the potential dynamics of the value of Italian game meat, highlighting that the development of a sustainable local supply chain of this product may represent an economic resource for involved stakeholders.

“…the probability that an individual plant will be discovered by its enemies (Feeny 1976), is not only dependant on the characteristics of the plant itself, e.g. plant size, foliage abundance and duration (Welch et al 1991;Zamora et al 2001;Renaud et al 2003) but also on the relative abundance and nature of neighbouring plants (Milchunas and Noy-Meir 2002). Coniferous species are likely to be more apparent than deciduous species, but might be avoided by cattle because of their lower leaf nitrogen content (Pagè s et al 2003) and stiff, tough needles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-Term Effects of Cattle Browsing on Tree Sapling Growth in Mountain Wooded Pastures

et al. 2006

Browsing by livestock has been identified as an important factor preventing tree regeneration in wooded pastures. Two field experiments were performed to investigate the effects of cattle browsing on tree sapling growth in a mountainwooded pasture. Two size classes (ca. 12-17 cm and 41-59 cm) of each of 4 species (Picea abies, Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus and Fagus sylvatica) were exposed to zero, low and high grazing intensities. We measured the proportion of saplings browsed and the effect of browsing on growth. A mowing treatment within the zero grazing intensity treatment showed no significant effect on sapling growth. One percent of the large saplings but 25% of the small saplings escaped browsing. Saplings were better protected when surrounded by taller vegetation. The proportion of saplings browsed was not significantly different among species although evergreen tree saplings lost a larger proportion of biomass than deciduous species when browsed. Under grazing, average current-year shoot production and total aboveground biomass of all species were significantly reduced. Browsing effects tended to be smaller at the lower grazing intensity. Because the deciduous species were least reduced in aboveground growth, especially under the low grazing intensity, we conclude that at least in short-term, deciduous species are less affected by cattle browsing.