Transhumance, the seasonal movement of herds between highlands and lowlands following precise, repeated routes, is a common practice in many Mediterranean regions. This livestock movement exploits natural vegetation in both winter and summer pastures. In Greece transhumant herders, drawn by relatively abundant vegetation, usually relocate to mountainous areas between April and October. Mount Vermio was an ideal summer pasture for the nomadic, ethnic group Sarakatsanoi of Thessaly, who used to own big herds. Socio-economic conditions of the 20th century led to the gradual decline of transhumance, resulting in reduction in grazing pressure and changes in vegetation dynamics. The purpose of this study was to monitor changes in landscape patterns in response to transhumance abandonment. Landscape metrics were employed to estimate land use/cover in two altitudinal zones. Results reveal that due to the abandonment of transhumance in the highlands landscape fragmentation increased. Meanwhile, in the lowlands, due to the uninterrupted presence of animals, landscape structure is more stable and diversified. Grasslands and agroforestry systems became smaller and more isolated. In OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 15653 conclusion, the abandonment of transhumance led to the overall deterioration of the rural landscape in the highlands.

Limited information is available about the impact of grazing on soil and plant nutrient contents in Mediterranean deciduous oak forests grazed by both livestock and wild life. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of wild boar and small ruminants grazing in a coppice oak forest in N Greece. Eight even‐aged stands of similar canopy cover and site quality were selected: four stands with long‐time grazing mainly by wild boar and four stands with long‐time grazing by sheep and goats. A plot of 150 m2 in each of the stands was fenced in order to be protected from grazing. A similarly sized plot open to grazing was assigned next to the fenced plot. Species composition was recorded in fenced and grazed plots. Soil samples and individual plants of the dominant palatable grass species Dactylis glomerata and Brachypodium sylvaticum were collected in every fenced and grazed plot. These samples were analysed for contents of nutrients. The results indicated that grazing increased organic matter, C, and total N, P and Ca, while it had no effect on the plant nutrients Mg, Na, K and all micronutrients, and pH as well. Wild boar grazing had a significantly negative impact on the concentrations of Na, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the soil. Beside a decrease in K and Mn, grazing had minimal effects on the contents of plant nutrients. Conversely, wild boar grazing increased the contents of several nutrients such as N, Na, Cu and Fe in plant tissue. It seems that species composition was more affected by the topography and management than by the soil features as revealed by RDA analysis. The results of this study indicate that it is important to maintain moderate small ruminant grazing intensity for the sustainable multi‐disciplinary management of coppice oak forests. It is also important to control wild boar population in order to facilitate ecosystem process, soil preservation and forage quality.

The multiple agroforestry land uses of oak forests are of great ecological and economic interest as they contribute to the improvement of animal husbandry, wildlife, and environment. However, herbivory by wildlife and livestock highly affects the structure and the dynamic of forest ecosystems including its regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative effect of wild boar and small ruminants herbivory on the regeneration of a deciduous oak forest in northern Greece. Eight sites were selected in an even aged stand of similar canopy cover and forest site quality: four sites with long-time use mainly by wild boar and four sites with long-time grazing by sheep and browsing by goats. A plot of 150 m2 in each of the sites was fenced in order to be protected from herbivory. The plant cover and number of oak seedlings and acorns was measured in both grazed and protected plots for four consecutive years. The plant cover increased in the protected plots independent of the type of animals. The seedling cover decreased about 29% and 9% in sites where small ruminants and wild boars foraged respectively. Similarly, the number and the weight of acorns significantly decreased in the sites grazed by small ruminants mainly during the mast year of the oaks. Forest management has to control the small ruminants grazing in terms of intensity, timing, and duration in order to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different defoliation frequencies on winter forage production and nutritive value of improved population of Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. Four entries, a) base population, b) selected plants from mass honeycomb selection (MHS), c) selected plants from pedigree honeycomb selection (PHS) and d) selected plants from pedigree honeycomb selection using the combined criterion CC = x 2 (1 -CV) / CV [PHS (CC)] were tested under four defoliation frequencies: 1) frequent, 2) moderate, 3) infrequent and 4) control. Dry matter production under moderate defoliation treatment was 9% and 107% respectively higher than frequent and infrequent the first harvest year, while the second harvest year the corresponding percentages were 26% and 44%. The selected populations of A. cristatum consistently exceeded in herbage production the base population under all defoliation treatments during winter. Among the selected entries, [PHS (CC)] had consistently higher DM production compared to MHS and PHS for the two experimental years. The CP content was significantly higher, while NDF, ADF and ADL contents were lower in the increased defoliation frequency compared to the control in both harvest years. There were no significant differences of the nutritive value among the entries (P > 0.05). Generally, herbage production of the moderate defoliation frequency was more stable through the years with relatively high nutritive value.Additional key words: cool-season grasses, cutting frequencies, forage quality, sward management. ResumenEfectos de la frecuencia de defoliación en la producción y el valor nutritivo de forraje de invierno de diferentes entradas de Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de diferentes frecuencias de defoliación sobre la producción y el valor nutritivo de poblaciones mejoradas de Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. Se examinaron cuatro entradas: a) población base y plantas seleccionadas mediante b) selección masal en diseño «panal de abejas» (MHS), c) selección pedigree en diseño «panal de abejas» (PHS) y d) selección pedigree en diseño «panal de abejas» usando el criterio combinado CC = x 2 (1 -CV) / CV [PHS (CC)] bajo cuatro frecuencias de defoliación: 1) frecuente, 2) moderada, 3) infrecuente y 4) control. La producción de materia seca (MS) en el tratamiento de defoliación moderada fue un 9% y un 107% respectivamente más alta que en frecuente e infrecuente durante el primer año de recolección, mientras que durante el segundo año, los porcentajes correspondientes fueron 26% y 44%. Las poblaciones seleccionadas de A. cristatum sistemáticamente excedieron la producción de hierba de la población base en todos los tratamientos de defoliación durante el invierno. Entre las entradas seleccionadas, [PHS (CC)] presentó sistemáticamente una mayor producción de MS comparada con MHS y PHS en los dos años experimentales. El contenido de PB fue significativamente más alto, mientras que los de FND, FAD y LAD fueron más bajos...

Transhumant flocks graze the vegetation of medium and high elevation rangelands during late spring to autumn depending on the geographical area and climatic conditions. This study aimed to assess and interpret the impacts of transhumance decline on the land use/cover on Mountain Vermio, for the period 1985-2009. For many years, this area has received high stocking rates from transhumant livestock. However, during the last 30 years transhumance has been dramatically decreased. Land cover changes have been identified using a post classification comparison approach within a Geographical Information Systems environment. Moreover, the rate and the spatial differentiation of land use/cover were determined by means of the Dynamic Degree Index. According to the results, the acreage of grasslands and grazed open forests has decreased during the study period (3% and 83% respectively), while shrublands demonstrated an opposite trend with an increase of 25%. Furthermore, based on the Dynamic Degree Index, the greatest changes occurred in the conversion of grazed open forests and shrublands, compared to other land use/cover categories. This can be attributed to changes in sheep and goats populations grazing in the area, also related to the dispersion of flocks in local rangelands. Moreover, this article presents the results of a questionnaire survey on transhumant herders. These results, combined with the assessment of changes in the Dynamic Degree Index, reflect the difficulties that farmers face in terms of access to rangelands and their increased awareness regarding the environmental role of transhumance.