Environmental improvements have shown to be very effective in undergrazed or abandoned pastures, where the greatly reduced utilisation of the land by animals produces, in the mid-long term, deep changes in resources quality and in landscape. The aim of this work was to enhance the quality and the productivity of habitats utilised by wild animals, such as red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa), by the practice of several environmental improvements in open areas located in the Regional Park ‘Laghi di Suviana e Brasimone’ (Bologna, Italy). In the studied area shrubs and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) were removed and a suitable forage mixture was seeded. Vegetation was sampled through linear analysis from which botanical composition, pastoral value and biodiversity of the meadow were calculated. During the vegetation survey, the defoliation rate of the eaten species was also collected in order to obtain more information about the palatability of recorded species. The vegetation changed considerably after the treatment, with significant enhancement in biodiversity, measured by Shannon-Wiener index whose value increased from about 1,8 to 2,3. Also pastoral value showed a value triple than that at the beginning of the trial. Moreover, the method used to measure the defoliation rate permitted to gain effective indications about the real utilization of several species by wild animals.

Efficiency of environmental improvements in open areas of the Central Apennines Mountains (Italy) / F. Cervasio; V. Di Leo; M. Ponzetta; G. Argenti; M. Genghini; F. Sacconi. - STAMPA. - (2008), pp. 87-89. (Intervento presentato al convegno Proceedings of 22nd General Meeting of European Grassland Federation).

Efficiency of environmental improvements in open areas of the Central Apennines Mountains (Italy).

PONZETTA, MARIA;ARGENTI, GIOVANNI;
2008

Abstract

Environmental improvements have shown to be very effective in undergrazed or abandoned pastures, where the greatly reduced utilisation of the land by animals produces, in the mid-long term, deep changes in resources quality and in landscape. The aim of this work was to enhance the quality and the productivity of habitats utilised by wild animals, such as red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa), by the practice of several environmental improvements in open areas located in the Regional Park ‘Laghi di Suviana e Brasimone’ (Bologna, Italy). In the studied area shrubs and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) were removed and a suitable forage mixture was seeded. Vegetation was sampled through linear analysis from which botanical composition, pastoral value and biodiversity of the meadow were calculated. During the vegetation survey, the defoliation rate of the eaten species was also collected in order to obtain more information about the palatability of recorded species. The vegetation changed considerably after the treatment, with significant enhancement in biodiversity, measured by Shannon-Wiener index whose value increased from about 1,8 to 2,3. Also pastoral value showed a value triple than that at the beginning of the trial. Moreover, the method used to measure the defoliation rate permitted to gain effective indications about the real utilization of several species by wild animals.
2008
Biodiversity and animal feed
Proceedings of 22nd General Meeting of European Grassland Federation
F. Cervasio; V. Di Leo; M. Ponzetta; G. Argenti; M. Genghini; F. Sacconi
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/318027
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