THE DYNAMICS OF TRANSHUMANT BREEDING SYSTEM OF SHEEP IN GREECE. INFLUENCES ON THE BIODIVERSITY - ECOSYSTEM AND ITS UTILITY IN THE FRAME OF CLIMATE CHANGES

The transhumant sheep and goat farming system is particularly important for Mediterranean countries, as well as for Greece. The sector performs environmental functions, in terms of use of rangelands in mountainous areas, ensures acceptable incomes for farmers involved and produces quality traditional products. Transhumant systems are, therefore, extensive animal breeding systems, which are suitable for the development of mountainous and remote rural areas and minimize environmental pressures on fragile ecosystems.

The main objective of this project is to provide an integrated examination of all aspects of this system. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the Research Team aims at understanding the dynamics of the system and studying its structural characteristics, herd management practices, the economic and social characteristics of the farms as well as of transhumant farmers, its effects on the environment in remote and mountainous areas and on the rangeland management, the genetic characteristics of transhumant animals and the quality of milk and dairy products.

This approach entails an extensive survey of transhumant flocks, including an extended questionnaire survey to farmers, the extraction of blood samples from transhumant animals, the collection of milk and cheese samples and data from rangelands used by transhumant flocks. A wide range of analytical methods will be employed, including state-of-the-art approaches in all involved disciplines.

The output of the project is expected to provide valuable information to policy makers, in order to design efficient development strategies for the animal husbandry sector in Greece and to incorporate them into integrated rural development projects with respect to quality products, environmental protection and prevention of depopulation of marginal areas.