Agro-silvo-pastoral Management for Red Deer Raising in Mediterranean Spain
Alfonso San Miguel-Ayanz
INTRODUCTION
PAST AND CURRENT SITUATION OF RED DEER RAISING IN SPAIN
RED DEER AS A RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCE. NEED OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
MAJOR FEATURES OF POOR SOIL MEDITERRANEAN ESTATES
AGRO-SILVO-PASTORAL MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
Traditional land use pattern on poor soil Mediterranean areas
Big game COPPICE, SHRUBLAND
Firewood, Charcoal
Goat
DEHESA(open woodland)
Transhumantsheep herds
Iberianpig
Pasture +Browse +Acorns
Cerealcrops
CROP LAND
Typical landscape of poor soil Mediterranean areas
CHANGES ON THE LAST FIVE DECADES
• Loss of value of fuelwood and charcoal• Movements of rural people to towns• Disappearance of transhumance • Lack of shepherds• Abandonment of marginal agricultural lands
Forestry
Livestock
Agriculture
• Reduced socio-economic activity - Sustainable Rural Development
• Sustainability of traditional agro-silvo-pastoral systems ?
Red Deer raising within fenced Mediterranean estates:- an interesting land use alternative
- a new problem of sustainability
Big game
Coppice, Shrubland
DEHESA
Pasture + browse + acorns
Cereal
CROP
Fence
Fence
Shelter + Browse
SupplementaryFood
ADVANTAGES:
• Profitability?• Possible compatibility with high environmental quality• Conservation of traditional agro-silvo-pastoral systems• Socio-economic activity. Sustainable Rural Development
DISADVANTAGES:
• Wire fences: Self-sufficient estates (water-food-shelter)• Uncontrolled browsing and hunger periods• Red Deer population increase - vegetation and fauna• Lack of knowledge on sustainable management techniques
RED DEER POPULATIONS ARE A RENEWABLE
NATURAL RESOURCE, AND THEREFORE
SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE
MANAGEMENT
Sustainable management of Mediterranean estates for red deer hunting should de based on solid scientific and technical knowledge, never only on opinions or the so called ´expertise´. Basic information needed:
- System´s structure and function- Management tools- System´s predictable response to alternative treatments
Major components of the systemRED DEER - MEDITERRANEAN ESTATE
Red deerpopulations
Mediterraneanwoody vegetation Natural
pastures
Agricultural crops
(Endangered)Fauna and flora
Sownpastures
• Private properties
• Owners seek profitability
• Large estates: more than 500 ha
• Perimetral wire fence
• Under Administrative control:
Technical Plan
LEGAL ASPECTS
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
• MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE:- Summer drought: dry pasture (low quality)- Winter cold: low pasture growth- Huge variability: IT SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND
• NUTRIENT POOR SOILS:- Cropping is not possible every year- Special care should de taken with soil properties
(soil is the less renewable resource of the ecosystem)
• WATER AVAILABILITY PROBLEMS
• RATHER RUGGED TOPOGRAPHY
VEGETATION
Quejigar(Quercus faginea)
Encinar adehesado(Quercus rotundifolia)
Fresneda(Fraxinus angustifolia)
Mancha mediterránea
Jaral-BrezalCantuesar
Rebollar(Quercus pyrenaica)
Aliseda(Alnus glutinosa)
Litosuelo
RankerRanker
Litosuelo
Cambisoldistrico
Cambisolhúmico
Cambisoldistrico
Cambisolo luvisol
gleico
Luvisol crómicoo alisoles
Horizonte de arcilla
Cambisolgleico
Quejigar(Quercus faginea)
Encinar adehesado(Quercus rotundifolia)
Fresneda(Fraxinus angustifolia)
Mancha mediterránea
Jaral-BrezalCantuesar
Rebollar(Quercus pyrenaica)
Aliseda(Alnus glutinosa)
Litosuelo
RankerRanker
Litosuelo
Cambisoldistrico
Cambisolhúmico
Cambisoldistrico
Cambisolo luvisol
gleico
Luvisol crómicoo alisoles
Horizonte de arcilla
Cambisolgleico
• Diversity: communities and species- forests and woodlands- shrublands- herbaceous communities- croplands
• Sclerophyllous and perennial trees and shrubs: FODDER BANKS• Forest fruits (e.g. acorns) are major and strategic food resources
Forests and woodlands Tall Shrublands: Maquia
Short shrublands
Pastures
Croplands
Every plant community isessential for red deer
populations
DENSE WOODY VEGETATION
FUNCTION:
STABILITY (erosion, water, nutrients,...)SHELTERModerate FOOD supply
PROBLEMS:
It does not sustain heavy browsing- Lack of regeneration- Degradation- Disappearance of palatable species
Stability, in coppices
• No browsingNatural regeneration is possible
• Moderate browsingLack of regenerationHealthy adult shrubs and trees
• Heavy browsingLack of regenerationDegradation of woody vegetation
• Very heavy browsingLack of regenerationDisappearance of palatable species
Interior of a Mediterranean shrubland: excessive density, strong competition between individuals, lack of regeneration; browsable biomass out of ungulates´ reach
Wild olive tree (Olea sylvestris)
browsed by red deer
Madroño (Arbutus unedo) browsed by red deer
NATURAL PASTURES
MAJOR ROLE:
Food supply (grazing improves them)
PROBLEMS:
Summer dry pasture: too low nutritive qualityPoor winter growthLow leguminous biomass (shortage of proteins and minerals)
GreenGrassyield
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Hunger periods
SOWN PASTURES
• OBJECTIVES: To complement natural pastures in:- Seasons with low food supply- Quality (protein, minerals)- Quantity ?
• PROBLEMS: - Summer drought- Winter cold- Low soil fertility
permanent (several years)Two types:
temporal (crops)
RED DEER POPULATIONS
ROLE IN THE SYSTEM:• Main product• Management tool for
pastures (and shrublands)
PROBLEMS:
• Oportunist feeder• Uncontrolled browsing• Scarce information on:
- Productivity- Food selection
and requirements- Behaviour- Health
Forest and Woodland conservation is essentialStand density should be kept within suitable levels (silvicultural treatments)Natural regeneration of trees and shrubs should be possibleDiversity of species and plant communities is essential
PROPOSALS FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
A regular distribution of plant communities and water is required to guarantee an homogeneous distribution of the wild ungulate stocking rate
Browsing should be reduced to a minimum
Food resources should satisfy nutritional requirements of red deer populations
Pasture and crop management becomes a powerful tool for woody vegetation preservation
PROPOSAL: Natural and sown pastures should be able to completely satisfy red deer food requirements on an average year
Low Thinnings on Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus rotundifolia and Arbutus unedo stands
Silvicultural treatments, aimed at keeping stand density within suitable levels and sometimes at achieving natural regeneration of trees and shrubs.
Browsing could be a tool for reducing resprouting from stumps or roots, but also a threat when natural regeneration of woody vegetation is desired
• A uniform patchwork of forests, woodlands, shrublands, pasturelands and croplands is desired.
• Sometimes screefing in small patches is interesting
• Sometimes shrub communities should be encouraged, or even introduced, when shelter areas or ecological corridors are desired
PASTURE AND CROP IMPROVEMENT
Aimed at reducing hunger periods (green fodder supply) and at increasing fodder quality (protein and minerals) throughout the year
• P FERTILIZATION: increases the abundance of legumesrecommended only on “good” natural pastures
• INTRODUCTION OF LEGUME RICH PERMANENT PASTURES
• It is difficult to find suitable perennial species (low soil fertility, summer drought)• Subclover is a very interesting species (serradella, other clover species...)• Shelter crops (rye) could provide protection from cold and winter fodder• High levels of grazing intensity are needed in order to lengthen their lifetime• Proposal: 1 % of the total estate area
• CROPS (usually oat, barley, rye, wheat, triticale)
• Aimed at reducing hunger periods: usually summer (grain) but also winter (green leaves)
• 3-4 year cycles: fallow – crop – stubble – annual grassland• Proposal: 2,5 - 5 % of the total estate area ( x 3-4)
Subclover with rye as shelter crop. First year Permanent pasture dominated by subclover. ≥ 2 years
Open oat-barley cropland (summer)Fenced oat-barley cropland (spring)
A UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OF SHELTER, EVERY KIND OF FOOD AND WATER SHOULD BE ACHIEVED BY USING G.I.S.
Leyenda:
a de asos cone t ébol
N
CaminosCortafuegosArroyos
1 0 1 Kilometers
pasos
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AGRUPACIONES VEGETALES
Escala 1:30.000
MAPADE VEGETACIÓNDE"LOS QUINTOSDE MORA"
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BROWSE INTAKE: 69,2% (ALVAREZ y RAMOS, whole year)BROWSE INTAKE: 95,7% (ALVAREZ et al, stags, winter)
35,7% (SAN MIGUEL et al, whole year)
Monthly diet composition or red deer. Quintos de Mora (Toledo)
Before pasture and crop management
After pasture and crop management
43.5935.68
60.26
78.83
56.3168.49 64.70
46.5337.64
14.4627.26 26.92
56.4164.32
39.74
21.17
43.6931.51 35.30
52.08
42.45
12.37
12.43
36.07
3.14
19.92
73.1760.30
41.13
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Ene Feb Mar Abr May Jun Jul Ago Sep Oct Nov Dic
Herbáceas(%) Leñoso sin bellota % Bellota(%)Herbs (%) Browse (%) Acorns (%)
Artificial watering points for wild ungulates (Quintos de Mora, Toledo, left; San Juan, Ciudad real, right)
Exchangeablepine log aimed at reducing red deer damages
(antler cleaning)to live trees
Electric fence for protecting an oat-barley crop from grazing (winter-spring)
Mineral supplementfor red deer populations
Supplementary food for red deer spread on the floor. Most
individuals have access to it
Racks for red deer supplementary feeding. Only males or dominant hinds
feed on them