LAND USE CHANGE IN A SILVOPASTORAL CORK OAK SAVANNA IN CENTRAL SARDINIA
Contributo in Atti di convegno
Data di Pubblicazione:
2017
Citazione:
LAND USE CHANGE IN A SILVOPASTORAL CORK OAK
SAVANNA IN CENTRAL SARDINIA / Deplano, G.; Ruiu, Maddalena; Schirru, M.. - (2017). ((Intervento presentato al convegno INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CORK OAK TREES AND WOODLANDS Conservation, Management, Products and Challenges for the Future tenutosi a SASSARI nel May 25-26 2017.
Abstract:
Cork oak woodlands in Central Sardinia represent a biocultural landscape
related to silvo-pastoral and agro silvo-pastoral systems where the forest
component is dominated by Q. suber on soils developed mainly from siliceous
(granite) rocks.
These systems provide various ecosystem services: carbon sequestration, water
quality, biodiversity and soil conservation in addition to animal, wood and nonwooden
productions (e.g. milk, beef, wool, pasture, cork, acorns…). Otherwise,
these multifunctional systems are affected by scarce natural regeneration and
low health conditions of trees, as well as documented also for Portuguese
montados and Spanish dehesas. In Sardinian cork oak savannas density is
higher and Sardinian dairy sheep represent grazing component.
Previous studies in the area compared land use in four plots, in Nuoro district in
the years 1954, 1977 and 1998. Focusing on cork oak landscapes, the work
verified a change of 30% of “pure” cork oak stands to woody pastures and
Mediterranean maquis. The main causes have been the decreasing trend of cork
prices in international markets and the CAP payments for livestock more
convenient for owners than those for forest management. Wildfires have also
contributed to the degradation of the forests.
This work aims to update land use changes, integrating the previous study
results with new sources of information: land use database (year 2008), 1:25000
by Autonomous Region of Sardinia. The research produced, through
Geographic Information Systems tools, new information and change maps from
1998 to 2008. Results show a loss of 787 hectares of “pure Cork oak" in 10
years for the 10,054 ha plot area (7.8% of the total surface), mainly by change
to “other types of forest” and “wooded pastures”.
Local silvo-pastoral system in plot areas seems today to be not capable to adopt
technical solutions to harmonize different farming goals such as reduction of
grazing animals, pasture rotation and/or ameliorating. Effective measures and a
regional plan in favour of restoration of cork oak woodlands are expected
related to silvo-pastoral and agro silvo-pastoral systems where the forest
component is dominated by Q. suber on soils developed mainly from siliceous
(granite) rocks.
These systems provide various ecosystem services: carbon sequestration, water
quality, biodiversity and soil conservation in addition to animal, wood and nonwooden
productions (e.g. milk, beef, wool, pasture, cork, acorns…). Otherwise,
these multifunctional systems are affected by scarce natural regeneration and
low health conditions of trees, as well as documented also for Portuguese
montados and Spanish dehesas. In Sardinian cork oak savannas density is
higher and Sardinian dairy sheep represent grazing component.
Previous studies in the area compared land use in four plots, in Nuoro district in
the years 1954, 1977 and 1998. Focusing on cork oak landscapes, the work
verified a change of 30% of “pure” cork oak stands to woody pastures and
Mediterranean maquis. The main causes have been the decreasing trend of cork
prices in international markets and the CAP payments for livestock more
convenient for owners than those for forest management. Wildfires have also
contributed to the degradation of the forests.
This work aims to update land use changes, integrating the previous study
results with new sources of information: land use database (year 2008), 1:25000
by Autonomous Region of Sardinia. The research produced, through
Geographic Information Systems tools, new information and change maps from
1998 to 2008. Results show a loss of 787 hectares of “pure Cork oak" in 10
years for the 10,054 ha plot area (7.8% of the total surface), mainly by change
to “other types of forest” and “wooded pastures”.
Local silvo-pastoral system in plot areas seems today to be not capable to adopt
technical solutions to harmonize different farming goals such as reduction of
grazing animals, pasture rotation and/or ameliorating. Effective measures and a
regional plan in favour of restoration of cork oak woodlands are expected
Tipologia CRIS:
4.1 Contributo in Atti di convegno
Keywords:
Land use, Land cover, Forest transition, Spatial dynamics
Elenco autori:
Deplano, G.; Ruiu, Maddalena; Schirru, M.
Link alla scheda completa:
Titolo del libro:
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CORK OAK TREES AND WOODLANDS Conservation, Management, Products and Challenges for the Future