Grazing for wildfire prevention, ecosystem, service provision, nature conservation and landscape management
Acronym: GrazeLIFE
Competition title: LIFE
Funding: LIFE+
AFZ role: partner
Total value: €16,700.00
Funded amount: €16,700.00
Contract No: 2009-008
Start date: 2019/04/01
End date: 2021/12/31
Abstract
On request of the European Commission the LIFE Preparatory Project GRAZELIFE aims on improving implementation possibilities of different grazing models – both by domestic and wild/semi-wild herbivores – to identify the most (cost)effective means to maximise / promote wildfire prevention, climate adaptation, the provision of multiple ecosystem services, landscape and nature conservation, and to minimize human-wildlife conflicts, by maintaining long-term stable and resilient ecosystems.
Objectives:
- Description of different grazing models and their (cost)effectiveness for biodiversity, wildfire prevention, reduction of human-wildlife conflicts, climate adaptation and ecosystem services, compared to other land management-systems (including mowing, land abandonment and reforestation), specified for different European regions, and substantiated with case studies.
- Build a robust knowledge-base with respect to effectiveness and cost-efficiency of different grazing models.
- Analyse and map factors that facilitate, impede or restrict the implementation of the most effective grazing models (financial, social-cultural, political, physical, ecological, administrative, technical, etc.)
- Formulating recommendations for the EU to adapt relevant policies, legislation and subsidies in a way that will promote the most effective models for land management and enhance coherence with EU-targets on biodiversity, the restoration agenda, reduction of human-wildlife conflicts and climate adaptation.
Leaders
Prof. Nikica Šprem, PhD
University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture
Associates
Krešimir Kavčić, MSc. agr.
University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture