EcoCoast Consultancy
Expertise
Projects EU Sustainable and Integrated Land Use of the Eurasian Steppe EU Steppe Climate Change Adaptation and Steppe Biodiversity MCC / MCA ESOC Mongolia EU CBC Romania - Bulgaria Caspian Sea Environmental Programme ICZM Black Sea Environmental Programme ICZM
Integrated Steppe Management Steppe Biodiversity goes hand in hand with steppe pasture productivity. The higher the productivity the higher the biodiversity and the other way around. Drought is the limiting factor for productvity. Management has a severe influence on the productivity. Bad management can easily reduce the productivity with a factor 3-5, or in other words an decrease of 60-80%. This is caused by bad grassland management where vegetation is tramped, reseeding prevented, not enough grass is left for re-grow, etc In this case high productive perenial grasses are taken over by annual grasses and ruderal species. Also as result of arable farming land is degraded, mostly as its humus is burned and with that the water capacity and soil structure is spoiled. In both cases extensive husbandry can be an economic option to restore the degraded pasture and arable land and create an additional source of income. To realise this the focus should be on the market sector as whole. A added value line has to be created or strenghtened. Extensive livestock production and meat marketing are going hand in hand. Capacity building and bringing producers and consumers togehter are key processes in the re-use of degraded land and saving biodiversity.
For Integrated and Sustainable development.
EcoCoast Consultancy
AWARD