Transhumant Sheep and Goat Farming Sector in Greece

Subject Areas : Camel

A.  سیاسیو ¹ (Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Pantazidou 93, 58200, Orestiada, Greece)
ک.  گالانوپولوس ² (Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Pantazidou 93, 58200, Orestiada, Greece)
آی.  میتسوپولوس ³ (Department of Agricultural Technology, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Sindos, 57400, Thessaloniki, Greece)
آ.  راگکوس ⁴ (Department of Agricultural Technology, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Sindos, 57400, Thessaloniki, Greece)
و.  لاگا ⁵ (Department of Agricultural Technology, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Sindos, 57400, Thessaloniki, Greece)

Received: 2018-02-02 Accepted : 2018-04-15 Published : 2018-12-01

Keywords: crossbreed, extensive farming system, sheep and goat,

Abstract :

Transhumance is an extensive farming system developed by livestock farmers, that moved their herds between lowlands and uplands, in order to cope with the seasonality of the available forage. The purpose of this study was to examine the transhumant sheep and goat system in Greece highlighting differences in management aspects among the country’s regions. Non-parametric statistical methods in a sample of 551 herders were applied to depict management practices while the regions were separated into four groups according to climate and geographical features. Results revealed differences between the groups, adoption of crossbreeding and limitation of grazing in pastures mainly by sheep breeders. The breeding of goats and on average larger herds were met mainly in southern Greece while sheep and mixed type of herds, as well as smaller on average herds were more common in the northern regions of the country. Evidently, transhumance in Greece nowadays preserves its traditional character being accustomed to the demand of the market for larger production however the introduction of the cross or improved dairy breeders should be controlled in order to protect diversity of indigenous mountain breeds.

References:

Bernués A., Ruiz R., Olaizola A., Villalba D. and Casasus I. (2011). Sustainability of pasture based livestock farming systems in the European Mediterranean context: Synergies and trades-off. Livest. Sci. 139, 44-57.

Bignal E.M. and McCracken D.I. (2000). The nature conservation value of European traditional farming systems. Environ. Rev. 8, 149-171.

Cabarello R. (2001). Typology of cereal sheep farming systems in Castile La Mancha (South Central Spain). Agric. Syst. 68, 215-232.

Casasus I., Bernués A., Sanz A., Villalba D., Riedel J.L. and Revilla R. (2007). Vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean forest pastures as affected by beef cattle grazing. Argic. Ecosyst. Environ. 121, 365-370.

Chang C. (1992). Archaelogical landscapes: The ethnoarchaelogy of pastoral land use in the Grevena province of Greece. Pp. 65-89 in Space, Time and Arhcaelogical Landscapes. J. Rossignol and L. Wandsnider, Eds. Plenum, New York.

Constantin M. (2003). Capitalism and transhumance: A comparison of three pastoral market types in Europe (1950-2000). New Europe Coll. Yearbook. 11, 55-116.

FAO. (2008). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy.

Gibon A. (2005). Managing grassland for production, the environment and the landscape. Challenges at the farm and the landscape level. Livest. Prod. Sci. 96, 11-31.

Hadjigeorgiou I. (2011). Past, present and future of pastoralism in Greece. Pastoralism: Res. Pol. Pract. 1, 1-24.

Ispikoudis I., Soliou M.K. and Papanastasis V.P. (2002). Trans humance in Greece: Past, present and future prospects. Pp. 211-226 in Transhumance and Biodiversity in European mountains. R.G.H. Bunce, M. Pérez-Soba, R.H.G. Jongman, A. Gómez Sal, F. Herzog and I. Austad, Eds. Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Karatassiou M., Galidaki M., Ragkos A., Stephopoulos K., Parissi Z.M. and Laga V. (2015). The transhumant sheep and goat farming and the use of rangelands in Greece. Opt. Mediterr. 115, 655-659.

Koocheri A. and Gliessman S.R. (2008). Pastoral nomadism, a sustainable system for grazing land management in Arid Areas. J. Sustain. Agric. 25, 113-131.

Laga V., Katanos I., Skapetas B. and Chliounakis S. (2003). Transhumant sheep and goat breeding in Serres district of Central Macedonia, Greece. Pp. 23-27 in Proc. Int. Symp. Anim. Prod. Natl. Res. Utiliz. Mediterr. Mount. Areas., Ioannina, Greece.

Metera E. and Sakowski T. (2010). Grazing as a tool to maintain biodiversity of grasslands. Anim. Sci. Pap. Rep. 28, 315-334.

Mitsopoulos I., Siasiou A., Chatziplis D., Kiritsi S., Michas V., Laga V. and K. Galanopoulos. (2015). Transhumant sheep and goat farming sector in Sterea Ellada – Greece. Anim. Sci. Biotechnol. 48(1), 155-160.

Molina R., Aparicio A., Jose Pina F., Valdues P. and Arroyo J. (2013). Disentagling environmental correlates of vascular plant biodiversity in a Mediterranean hot spot. Ecol. Evol. 3, 3879-3894.

Mundry R. and Fisher J. (1998). Use of statistical programs for non-parametric tests of small samples often leads to incorrect P-values. Anim. Behav. 56, 256-259.

Nardone A., Zervas G. and Ronchi B. (2004). Sustainability of small ruminant organic farming in relation to environmental effects in Europe. Livest. Prod. Sci. 90, 27-39.

Olea P.P. and Mateo-Tomás P. (2009). The role of traditional farming practices in ecosystem conservation: the case of transhumance and vultures. Biol. Conserv. 142, 1844-1853.

Pardini A. and Nori M. (2011). Afro-silvo-pastoral systems in Italy: integration and diversification. Pastoralism: Res. Pol. Pract. 1, 1-26.

Peco B., Sanchez A.M. and Azcarate F.A. (2006). Abandonment in grazing systems: Consequences for vegetation and soil. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 113, 284-294.

Rancourt M., Fois N., Lavin M.P., Tchakerian E. and Vallerand F. (2006). Mediterranean sheep and goats production: An uncertain future. Small Rumin. Res. 62, 167-179.

Rook A.J., Dumont B., Isselstein J., Osoro K., Wallis De Vries M.F., Parente G. and Mills J. (2004). Matching type of livestock to desered biodiversity outcomes in pastures- A review. Biol. Conserv. 199, 137-150.

Ruiz M. and Ruiz J.P. (1986). Ecological history of transhumance in Spain. Biol. Conserv. 37, 73-86.

Siasiou A., Laga V. and Galanopoulos K. (2017). Typology of transhumant sheep and goat in the regions of Epirus and Cental Greece. Pp. 51-54 in Proc. 32^th Symp. Hellenic Zootech. Assoc., Larisa, Greece.

Siasiou A., Mitsopoulos I., Michas V., Lymperopoulos A., Laga V. and Galanopoulos K. (2015). A nutritional management analysis of the transhumant sheep and goat farms in the region of Sterea Ellada-Greece. Anim. Sci. Biotechnol. 48(1), 302-306.

Wallis De Vries M.F., Parkinson A.E., Dulphy J.P., Sayer M. and Diana E. (2007). Effects of livestock breed and grazing intensity on biodiversity and production in grazing systems. Effects on animal diversity. Grass. Forage. Sci. 62(2), 185-197.

Weber T.K. and Horst S. (2011). Desertification and livestock grazing. The roles of sedentarization, mobility and rest. Pastoralism: Res. Pol. Pract. 1, 1-19.