Livestock grazing in the Mediterranean
The proceedings of an international workshop on the ecological basis of livestock grazing in Mediterranean ecosystems have recently been published by the European Commission, DG XII. The workshop, organised by the European Commission within the framework of the Environment and Climate research programme, was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in October 1997. It brought together 80 participants from 16 different countries and aimed to gather together existing information on the ecological role of grazing. The workshop was organised in response to the realisation that Mediterranean ecosystems and landscapes have evolved with the presence of livestock and that animal grazing when properly applied is essential in maintaining species and landscape diversity. The outcome of the workshop has provided a valuable input to the Environment and Climate activities managed by DG XII in the field of land resources and related threats of land degradation and desertification in Europe. The publication contains an introduction to the issue with a paper giving a historical and policy perspective on livestock grazing in Mediterranean ecosystems. The texts of other presentations delivered during the conference are contained in the publication under the following session headings: - Grazing and vegetation; - Grazing, nutrients and desertification; - Grazing, planning and environmental implications; - Policies and strategies; - Conclusions and recommendations and a summary of the sessions.