Increase of drought stress negatively affects the sustainability of extensive sheep farming in sub-Mediterranean climate

Scocco, Paola; Piermarteri, Karina; Malfatti, Alessandro; Tardella, Federico Maria; Catorci, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.01.006

Cited by 35 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…It means increased summer drought stress affects forage properties, or interannual rainfall variation influences forage features in sub-Mediterranean areas (Scocco et al 2016). Scocco and her colleagues investigated pasture lands in Italy, which are also involved by climate change and aridification.…”

Section: International Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scocco and her colleagues investigated pasture lands in Italy, which are also involved by climate change and aridification. Their results show that the expected increase of summer drought stress due to climate change (Giorgi -Lionello, 2008) will present a significant challenge to costeffective pasture management in sub-Mediterranean mountain areas (Scocco et al 2016). …”

Section: International Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Homokhátság - a special rural area affected by aridification in the Carpathian basin, Hungary

Kovács

Hoyk

Farkas

2017

European Countryside

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Abstract:In Hungary, the aridification primarily affects the Great Hungarian Plain, most specifically the "Homokhátság" area which is part of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve. On the basis of our experience gained in the past 15 years, we would like to give an insight into the complex problems of this rural region. Our starting point is the aridification process and water scarcity which are characteristic features of this area for the last century. We investigate the related problems in land use management such as unfavourable land use and vegetation changes and the challenges in the local economy and social sustainability. In this respect we introduce the emerging issues in agriculture, forestry and nature conservation which may be relevant in European context too. We have discovered specific factors related to the devaluation of the rural environment and found that significant part of the unfavourable phenomena can be explained by the combined effect of climatic changes, improper land use and inappropriate environmental management. Based on our findings we outline a possible regional pathway for a sustainable rural development.Keywords: Danube-Tisza interfluve, land use change, climate change, unpredictable water balance, complex rural problems, rural development Absztrakt: Magyarországon a szárazodás hatásai az Alföldön, és azon belül is leginkább a Duna-Tisza közi Homokhátságon érzékelhetők. Tanulmányunkban − az elmúlt másfél évtizedben szerzett kutatási tapasztalatainkra építve − szeretnénk betekintést adni e rurális térség komplex problémakörébe. A szárazodás és a vízhiány hosszú évtizedek óta a legismertebb jelenségek a térségben. Ugyanakkor érdemes szemügyre venni más kedvezőtlen folyamatokat is, pl. a tájdegradációs, területhasználati és vegetációs változásokat, amelyek egyre nagyobb kihívást jelentenek a térségben élők számára. Ebben a vonatkozásban vesszük górcső alá a mezőgazdaság, erdőgazdálkodás és természetvédelem egyes releváns kérdéseit, amelyek akár európai összehasonlításban is fontosak lehetnek. Olyan speciális tényezőket mutatunk be, amelyek az érintett térségben jól demonstrálják a környezeti-és klimatikus változások, valamint az átgondolatlan tájhasználat és környezetgazdálkodás következményeit. Mindezek mellett, reményeink szerint az elvégzett vizsgálatok, jól hasznosítható támpontokat nyújthatnak a fenntartható vidékfejlesztés számára is.

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Section: International Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: International Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homokhátság - a special rural area affected by aridification in the Carpathian basin, Hungary

Kovács

Hoyk

Farkas

2017

European Countryside

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“…In mountain landscapes, altitude and landform are major factors in determining variations in species composition and community structure (Burrascano et al., ). These factors partly determine the range of aboveground phytomass typical of each plant community (Scocco, Piermarteri, Malfatti, Tardella, & Catorci, ). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that, when livestock grazing ceases, the sward tends to increase in height and thickens, and subsequently the canopy closes and the aboveground phytomass increases (Louault, Soussana, & Perrodin, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land use change in the high mountain belts of the central Apennines led to marked changes of the grassland mosaic

Malatesta

Tardella

Tavoloni

et al. 2019

Applied Vegetation Science

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Aims:High mountain pastures are hotspots of biodiversity, but grazing cessation and climate change are causing tall-grass encroachment and expansion of scrublands and forests. As part of biodiversity conservation efforts, grassland variation needs to be investigated at different spatial scales. We aimed to assess the landscape mosaic variation that occurred between 1988 and 2015 in the higher Mediterranean mountains. We investigated the recovery or land-degradation processes related to land use change, the effects of site condition, the impacts on grassland mosaic heterogeneity, and the threats to biodiversity. Location: Sibillini Mountains (central Italy), over 1,650 m a.s.l. Methods: We used two-step object-based supervised classification on Landsat 5 and 8 satellite images to analyze changes in landscape patterns and vegetation cover on formerly low-intensity pastures, by assessing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index variation between 1988 and 2015. Twenty percent of the polygons obtained from segmentation were visually interpreted and assigned to five land cover classes.We generated a land use transition matrix and used Fourier Transforms to detect trends in variation of landscape mosaics and fragmentation. Results:We observed prominent dynamics of the grassland mosaic leading to the homogenization of its structure through decreasing patch heterogeneity, especially on south-facing slopes. Grasslands shifted from open communities to dense pastures, with a reduction of scree and spread of tall grasses. The former trend could be understood as a recovery process reverting screes to conditions in equilibrium with local landform and climatic features, while the invasion of tall grasses is a landdegradation process that might lead to local species extinction and loss of habitat connectivity. Conclusions:Pronounced changes in the large-scale landscape characteristics, mainly due to land use changes, of which scientists and managers of protected areas are not fully aware, are underway in the top mountain sectors of the study area. | Applied Vegetation ScienceMALATESTA ET AL.

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“…A recent study demonstrated that in the sub‐Mediterranean climate, the increasing summer drought stress negatively affects both quantity and quality of forage. This can lead to a decrease of the sheep body condition, consequent to a reduction in the absorption of VFAs due to the increase of rumen keratinization (Scocco et al, ). Maintaining the animal welfare is a necessary condition for the sustainability of sheep farming in mountainous areas (Broom and Fraser, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the basis of the above considerations, it could be appropriate thinking in terms of pasture‐rumen interaction in deciding the best management of pastoral systems and in understanding the impact of grassland features modifications, due to species composition or climate change, on shepherding sustainability (Catorci et al, ; Dove, ; Scocco et al, ). This is a paramount issue, especially in sub‐Mediterranean dry pastoral systems undergoing summer drought stress and high inter‐annual variations in the amount and distribution of spring and summer rainfall (Bugalho and Milne, ; Rivas‐Martínez, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increase of forage dryness induces differentiated anatomical response in the sheep rumen compartments

Scocco

Mercati

Tardella

et al. 2016

Microscopy Res & Technique

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The aim of this study was to investigate how the Surface Enlargement Factor (SEF) and the epithelial keratinization degree of sheep rumen change in response to phytomass production, and to forage fiber and water content during the pasture vegetative cycle. The study used eighteen sheep nourished with dry hay and cereals during the winter season and with fresh hay during the pasture vegetative cycle. We collected samples from rumen indicative regions for two consecutive years characterized by different rainfall and pasture productivity values. We evaluated the densities (D) of rumen papillae to estimate the rumen SEF, and the keratinization percentage of the epithelial lining; these parameters showed differentiated modifications in the four ruminal analyzed compartments in response to pasture seasonal conditions. In addition, we performed Canonical Redundancy Analysis (RDA) on the "keratinization and SEF" matrix constrained by phytomass, water, and crude fiber contents of pasture at different time in the two considered years to highlight how rumen features answer to pasture conditions. Atrium (A) and ventral sac (VS) keratinization showed a strict positive correlation to crude fiber, while SEF of VS was positively related to phytomass and forage water content. The degree of keratinization of the rumen VS epithelium proved to be a useful parameter for evaluating anatomical variations in the short term period related to pasture features; in addition, its monitoring could be carried out through biopsy, thus avoiding the killing of animals. The study also leads to the application of the 3Rs (Replacement; Reduction; and Refinement). Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:738-743, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Increase of drought stress negatively affects the sustainability of extensive sheep farming in sub-Mediterranean climate

Cited by 35 publications

References 40 publications

Homokhátság - a special rural area affected by aridification in the Carpathian basin, Hungary

Homokhátság - a special rural area affected by aridification in the Carpathian basin, Hungary

Land use change in the high mountain belts of the central Apennines led to marked changes of the grassland mosaic

Increase of forage dryness induces differentiated anatomical response in the sheep rumen compartments

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