Evaluation of ten years pastoral management of a cork-oak forest overgrown by a maquis of Erica arborea, in the French Mediterranean region
1997
Goby, J.P. | Rochon, J.J. (Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Perpignan (France))
In the Pyrenees Orientales, a study of the management of an Erica arborea scrub used by high yield milk producing goat herd links the nutritive needs of productive goats with the upkeeping constraints of a fire-prone environment. A follow-up of the ruminal parameters according to the food diet showed that the high level of fibrous tissues of Erica arborea does not impair the animals' digestion, but on the contrary, favours the cellulolytic activity of the rumen. In the pasture, the feeding behaviour leads to a systematic search for arborescent heather. This preference leads to a rapid depletion of grazing resources due to an impoverishment of the 0-2 meters layer, leading to problems when driving the flock on the scrub (escape) and the appearance of a thick cistus bush growth, which is impossible to master by grazing, in the clearer areas. Mastering the goats' behaviour without prejudicing their food supply necessitates a regular supply of arborescent heather, or the availability of a substitution fodder by cultivating the most favourable zones. Clearing must be well thought out and carried out according to the foliage, the farm's location and the cultivation improvement possibilities. A mechanical control of the cistus must be envisaged in the most remote areas. Development by pastoralism is subject to the protection of the environment against overgrowth as well as a management policy of conservation and improvement of fodder resources.
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