Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

456
Grasslands of the world
Turkey has an average altitude of 1 131 m; low (0–250 m), medium (250–
1 000 m) and high altitude areas (>1 000 m) constitute 10.0, 34.5 and 55.5 percent
of the country, respectively. The European section is fertile hilly land. The
Asian part consists of an inner high plateau, with mountain ranges along the
north and south coasts.
Average annual temperatures vary between 18° and 20°C on the south coast,
fall to 14° to 15°C on the west coast, and, depending on elevation, fluctuate
between 4° and 18°C in the interior. Substantial temperature variations are
observed between the coast and the interior in winter . Winters are cold in the
east and interior, but relatively warm on the south coast. Average temperatures
in January and February are around 0°C in the east, 5° to 7°C on the north and
west coasts, and 8° to 12°C on the south coast.
Heavy rainfall is general on mountains facing the sea. Towards the interior,
rainfall decreases. Rains begin in autumn and continue until late spring on the
Marmara, Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. In the interior and southeastern
Anatolia, rainfall is mostly in spring.
Ruminant livestock consist of 11 million cattle , 29.4 million sheep and
8 060 000 goats . Cattle numbers have not changed in the last 30 years, while
sheep, goat and buffalo numbers decreased steadily. Most livestock are still
under traditional management relying on extensive grazing . Farms are small
and fragmented, with 85 percent under 10 ha.
About 71 percent of all pure breeds are in the central-north, Aegean,
Marmara and central-south regions; elsewhere extensive stock rearing is general,
with local sheep and cattle breeds. The Mediterranean region is the least
developed for livestock, but has 25 percent of the goats .
At the beginning of the twentieth century the population of Turkey was
12 million, livestock numbers were low and there was no serious pasture management
problem. After the First World War, there were 440 000 km 2 of natural
grazing and about 20 million livestock units. After the Second World War,
animal numbers remained the same, but grazing was reduced to 430 000 km 2 .
Since then there has been a sharp increase in animal numbers and decrease in
pasture. The trend continues; nowadays the number of animals grazing on
Turkey’s pastures is three to four times their carrying capacity (Figure 11.1
shows the changes in pasture area in Turkey).
The most productive pastures are in the east of the Black Sea region, where
herders move in transhumance between lowland and alpine grasslands. East
Anatolia has 37 percent of the pasture , grazing pressure is lower, so pasture
condition is better; transhumance is also practiced here. Southeast Anatolia
is one of the most heavily grazed zones ; pastures dry out at the end of June;
some of the livestock are moved to eastern Anatolia or to high mountains of
the southeastern Taurus. In Mediterranean and Aegean Regions, the principal
vegetation above 500 m is maquis , which is unsuitable for cattle . About a quarter
of the goat population is in this region and are taken to higher elevations