Vegetation degradation and

land use changes in

agrosilvopastoral systems

Vasilios P. Papanastasis

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Agrosilvopastoral systems

complex systems

crops, trees and pasture / animals

silvopastoral and silvoarable

combination of components
in

the same unit of land

in

a spatial sequence

Vegetation of agrosilvopastoral systems

rich and variable

trees, shrubs, herbaceous species

spontaneous, cultivated

complex energy and nutrient webs

vulnerable to human practices

affected by

land use changes

socio-economic conditions

Historical development
of agrosilvopastoral systems

traditional systems

savanna-like landscapes

crop mixtures

olive tree in the first millennium BC

dehesas in the Middle Ages

common land use

Classification of agrosilvopastoral systems

1.

2.

Overstory trees

spontaneous vs planted

evergreen vs deciduous

Understory crops

3.

cereals vs forage crops

Grazing animals

sheep, goats, cattle, pigs

Spontaneous evergreen species

Quercus rotundifolia

Quercus suber

Quercus coccifera

Pinus halepensis

Spontaneous deciduous species

Mixed systems

Quercus ithaburensis

Quercus frainetto

Pyrus amygdaliformis

Planted trees (evergreen & deciduous)

Mixed systems

Olea europaea

Ceratonia siliqua

Juglans regia

Degradation processes

Extensification or abandonment

Reduction of labor

Rural emigration

Uplands (mainly)

Intensification

Mechanization

Increase of inputs

Lowlands (mainly)

Agrosilvopastoral systems

Wooded grasslands

Silvopastoral systems

Wooded shrublands

Woodlands

Vegetation and
land degradation
Figure 1. Degradation of agrosilvopastoral systems through extensification of management activities

Agrosilvopastoral systems

Tree clearing
+
Land consolidation
+
Mechanized agriculture
+
Industrial crops

Over-pruning of trees
+
Seeding of pasture species
+
Improved animal breeds
+
Increased shocking rates

Introduction of new species

+
Employment of dense spacing
+
Creation of plantation forests
+
Mechanical exploitation

Vegetation and
land degradation
Figure 2. Degradation of agrosilvopastoral systems through intensification of management activities

Case study of south Portugal

Montados

Infrequent shrub clearing

Poor tree health

Shrub encroachment

Over-pruning of trees
+
Too frequent cork collection
+
Careless mechanical clearing
+
Over-cropping
+
Over-stocking

Vegetation and
land degradation
Figure 3. Degradation of montados in south Portugal (after Pinto-Carreia and Mascarenhas, 1999)

Dehesas - Montados
Over-grazing

Shrub encroachment

Over-pruning

Frequent cork collection

Case study of central Greece

(Portaikos-Pertouli valley)

Area: 12.5 Km2

Altitude: 200-2060 m a.s.l
Population: 4,928 people

Portaikos Pertouli valley

General view

Upper part of the valley

Mixed systems

Lower part of the valley

Table 1. Land cover/use changes between 1945 & 1992 in Portaikos and
Pertouli valley
Category

Area

Change (%)

1945

1992

84

147

+ 75.00

Arable lands

1877

1000

- 46.72

Grasslands

1589

1084

- 31.78

Shrublands

975

872

+ 10.56

Artificial surfaces

Very open (<40%)

418

119

- 71.53

Open (40-70%)

302

400

+ 32.45

Dense (70-100%)

255

353

+ 38.43

Forests

7594

8877

+ 16.89

Very open (<40%)

2304

1475

- 35.98

Open (40-70%)

2697

2910

+ 7.89

Dense (70-100%)

2593

4492

+ 73.26

Abandoned agricultural
land
Barren land
Total

98

289

+ 194.90

232

180

- 22.41

12449

12449

Total population changes

5000

Population

4000

1961

1971

1981

1991

3000
2000
1000
0
Upper zone

Lower zone
Elevation Zone

Total

Livestock number changes

20000
1961

Anmals

16000

1971

1991

12000
8000
4000
0
Upper zone

Lower zone
Elevation zone

Total

Case study of Western Crete

(White Mountains)

Area: 424 Km2

Altitude: 0-1,800 m a.s.l
Population: 6,000 people

Table 2. Changes of Mediterranean ecosystems in the study area of western

Crete between 1945 & 1989
Type of ecosystem

Area

Change (%)

1945

1989

Phrygana

7,934

6,544

- 17.5

Carriques

6,020

4,832

- 19.7

Maquis

4,222

3,668

- 13.1

10,504

12,632

+ 20.3

Coniferous forests
Very open (<30%)

2,184

1,920

- 12.1

Open (30-70%)

3,672

2,576

- 29.9

Dense (> 70%)

4,648

8,136

+ 75.0

Total

28,680

27,676

- 3.5

Total population changes

Livestock number changes

End result: wildfires

1992

1995

Case study of central Crete

(Psilorites Mountain)

Area: 500 Km2

Altitude: 600-2,456 m a.s.l
Population: 8,000 people

Psilorites mountain

Cessation of cropping

Over-grazing

Restriction of trees

Degradation

Land cover changes in Psilorites

between 1961 & 1989

40000

Ha

1961

1989

30000
20000
10000
0
Artificial
surface

Arable lands

Forests

Shrublands

Grasslands

Bare rock

1961

Evolution of
land cover / use
1989

between

1961 and 1989

Human population

Sheep

Goats
1961

1971

1991

Conclusions

There is a great variety of agrosilvopastoral systems all over

the Mediterranean

Eastern Mediterranean has less extensive and organized

systems compared to dehesas and montados of the western

Mediterranean but a great variety of poorly identified and

less studied systems

Vegetation of agrosilvopastoral systems, especially trees, are

very vulnerable to land use changes

Both extensification and intensification of human activities

result in vegetation and land degradation

Recommendations

Agrosilvopastoral systems have a great biological, scenic and

historical value and should be preserved as cultural landscapes

A joint study

identify

and

should be taken across Mediterranean to

study

the

less

widespread

and

known

agrosilvopastoral systems before their extinction

Agrosilvopastoral systems should be included in the agroenvironmental measures so that financial incentives are
provided to their owners for their conservation