Animals of the middle slopes

Animals of the middle slopes

DREVO Middle Slope Fauna System

Concept

In the systemDREVO Living MountainsThe middle slope is the main transition zone between the upper catchment areas and the fertile foothills.

It is here that the following can be formed simultaneously:

mixed forests;

forest pastures;

wet hollows;

fruit and nut orchards;

shrub communities;

hayfields;

agroforestry terraces;

ecological corridors;

small bodies of water;

seasonal grazing zones.

Animals on the middle slopes perform not one, but several functions:

regulate herbaceous and shrubby vegetation;

reduce the amount of small combustible material;

recycle plant residues;

return nutrients;

they carry seeds;

create micromosaics;

support insects and predators;

form economic products;

restore natural food connections.

The main principle:

The middle slope should remain a forest landscape with animals, and not turn into an ordinary pasture with rare trees.

1. Features of the middle slopes

Compared to the upper slopes, the following are usually present here:

deeper soil;

higher moisture content;

less exposure to extreme wind;

more developed shrub layer;

stable terraces;

more woody and herbaceous foods;

more convenient access;

connection with streams and hollows;

the best conditions for sheltering animals.

But risks remain:

erosion;

slide;

formation of permanent trails;

destruction of stream banks;

compaction of wet soils;

eating away young growth;

accumulation of manure near drinking bowls;

conflicts between domestic and wild animals.

2. Functional zones

Zone A - natural core

Intended for:

natural forest;

old trees;

wild fauna;

dead wood;

reproduction of sensitive species.

Pets are not allowed here or are allowed only for exceptional rehabilitation purposes.

Zone B – forest restoration

Includes:

young plantings;

natural growth;

areas after fires;

erosion zones;

restored ravines;

areas with rare plants.

Large herbivores are temporarily excluded.

Poultry can only be used after the plantings have taken root and in limited areas.

Zone C - forest pasture

This is the main area of ​​managed grazing.

It includes:

mature trees;

stable turf;

forage shrubs;

forest glades;

protected areas of undergrowth;

mobile drinking bowls;

network of rotation sectors.

Silvopastoral systems should be maintained at a load level that allows for the simultaneous maintenance of forage vegetation productivity and tree layer functions.

Zone D - Agroforestry

Used to combine animals with:

fruits;

nuts;

fodder trees;

berry bushes;

medicinal plants;

grapes;

perennial herbs.

Zone E – water protection corridor

Created along:

streams;

springs;

wet hollows;

cascades;

drainage ditches.

Animal access is restricted.

Drinking bowls and feeders are placed outside the water protection corridor.

Zone F - ecological corridor

Connects:

upper forests;

medium slopes;

floodplains;

marsh areas;

neighboring mountain ranges.

Wildlife has priority in the corridor. Continuous grazing by livestock is undesirable here, as free-ranging livestock can displace wild herbivores and alter their habitat use.

3. Cattle

Suitable for:

wide forest terraces;

oak sparse forests;

fruit forests;

stable meadows;

fire belts.

Useful features

reduction of tall grass;

creation of a grass mosaic;

local opening of the soil;

maintenance of forest clearings;

processing of coarse vegetation;

support for dung insects.

Restrictions

Large cattle are not allowed:

on wet soils;

in young plantings;

to the springs;

on narrow, steep paths;

in landslide zones;

into areas of the natural core.

The safest system is a short intensive passage with a long recovery period, rather than the constant presence of animals.

4. Horses and ponies

Suitable for:

wide meadows;

stable forest meadows;

old gardens;

open terraces;

large mixed pastures.

Useful features

maintain short grassy areas;

form paths;

reduce overgrowth of individual clearings;

transfer seeds;

create a food base for dung fauna.

Risks

soil compaction;

bark damage;

creation of mud platforms;

concentration in water;

eating away at some areas and ignoring others.

Small, stable breeds and ponies are particularly suitable for moderate slopes.

5. Sheep

Sheep are used for:

grassy terraces;

forest gardens;

walnut groves;

dry forest glades;

fire protection sectors.

Useful features

reduction of dry grass;

maintaining low grass cover;

relatively small pressure of an individual animal;

possibility of precise sector grazing;

obtaining wool, milk and meat.

Risks

excessive plant eating;

destruction of flowering herbs;

damage to young trees;

formation of permanent trails;

simplification of the grass stand.

Sheep should be removed before the area becomes a uniformly short lawn.

6. Goats

Goats are used primarily as a sharpening tool.

Main tasks

shrub control;

cleaning old passages;

reduction of combustible shrub biomass;

restoration of open forest clearings;

restriction of individual invasive plants.

Restrictions

Goats are not allowed:

into young forests;

to nurseries;

in orchards without trunk protection;

in areas of natural regeneration;

into areas of sparse shrubs.

Goats are used in short cycles and are completely removed after achieving the desired effect.

7. Donkeys

Donkeys are suitable for dry and rocky areas of medium slopes.

Functions

eating coarse grasses;

partial shrub control;

moving across difficult terrain;

transportation of small loads;

support of the pasture system;

maintaining passages.

They are particularly promising for:

Mediterranean;

Morocco;

dry mountain sparse forests;

systems with carob, olive, oak and almond.

8. Pigs

Pigs can only work in special sectors:

mature orchards;

oak and chestnut forest pastures;

areas with dense grass turf;

areas for collecting fallen fruits;

places where soil is prepared before sowing.

Benefit

collecting acorns, nuts and fallen fruits;

search for larvae;

local loosening;

processing of organic waste;

opening of small seed plots.

Risks

root damage;

destruction of undergrowth;

erosion;

turf tearing;

pollution of streams;

formation of mud areas.

Pigs should not have free access to the entire forest area.

9. Chickens and guinea fowl

The middle slopes are the main area for forest poultry farming.

Chickens

Suitable for:

orchards;

walnut groves;

mature forest gardens;

plots after harvesting.

They:

eat some insects;

collect damaged fruits;

crush the litter;

return nutrients.

Guinea fowl

Suitable for:

dry sparse forests;

large gardens;

areas with high insect activity;

wide forest corridors.

They dig less than chickens, but require supervision of their movements.

10. Turkeys

Turkeys can be used:

on wide forest terraces;

in mature orchards;

in stable clearings;

in large agroforestry complexes.

Their advantages:

collection of large insects;

use of a vast territory;

processing of part of the vegetation;

obtaining economic products.

Due to their greater weight, they are not suitable for wet and unstable soils.

11. Ducks and geese

They are used mainly in the lower part of the middle slope.

Ducks

Suitable for:

wet terraces;

gardens with slugs;

areas near artificial ponds;

wet agroforestry.

Geese

Can be used for short periods of time:

on wide grassy terraces;

in mature gardens;

to control grass.

They are not allowed:

to the springs;

in young plantings;

on the soft banks;

into small natural reservoirs.

12. Bees and other pollinators

The animal system of the middle slope must include more than just vertebrates.

For pollinators the following are created:

flowering forest edges;

hedges;

fruit trees;

willow areas;

mixed grass meadows;

late-flowering plants;

dead wood;

open sandy areas.

Bees, bumblebees, butterflies, beetles and pollinating flies provide:

fruiting;

genetic exchange;

restoration of shrubs;

stability of food chains.

13. Wild ungulates

The middle slopes are naturally inhabited by:

roe deer;

deer;

wild boars;

in some regions, mouflons;

Mountain goats on the transition to the upper slopes.

In moderate numbers they:

they carry seeds;

support the meadows;

create trails;

participate in the food web.

In case of excess:

destroy the undergrowth;

eat the bark;

hinder forest restoration;

compete with livestock.

The number of wild herbivores should be assessed based on the condition of the undergrowth, and not just on the number of animals.

14. Beavers

Beavers can use the lower wet parts of the middle slopes, streams and hollows.

They create:

small ponds;

wet meadows;

channels;

dead wood;

fire-resistant damp zones;

amphibian breeding areas.

But their activities require control near:

roads;

bridges;

agricultural terraces;

young gardens;

engineering cascades.

15. Small mammals

These include:

proteins;

mice;

voles;

Sony;

shrews;

hedgehogs;

hares;

rabbits of local populations.

Their functions:

seed dispersal;

burying nuts;

organic waste processing;

creating moves;

food base for predators;

insect regulation.

There's no need to artificially release most of these animals. It's necessary to create conditions for their natural repopulation.

16. Birds of forests and slopes

Woodpeckers

They create hollows and control some tree-dwelling insects.

Tits and other insectivorous birds

They collect caterpillars and larvae.

Thrushes and other frugivorous birds

They spread berries and seeds.

Owls

Control mice and voles.

Hawks and eagles

They support the upper levels of the food web.

For birds the following are preserved:

old trees;

dead wood;

shrubs;

quiet zones;

open hunting grounds;

areas without poultry.

17. Predators

On the middle slopes the following may be present:

foxes;

martens;

badgers;

jackal;

lynxes;

wolves;

wild cats;

birds of prey.

They regulate:

rodents;

sick animals;

number of herbivores;

behavior of wild ungulates.

They cannot be destroyed to simplify animal husbandry.

To protect pets the following are used:

night shelters;

shepherds;

watch dogs;

electric fencing;

mobile pens;

timely collection of dead animals.

18. Mixed groups of animals

Keeping many species at the same time without control complicates management.

It is more rational to use sequential cycles.

First pass

Cattle or horses:

reduce tall grass;

create primary mosaicism.

Second pass

Sheep:

the herbaceous layer is being finished.

Point pass

Goats:

limit individual bushes.

Special passage

Pigs:

Selected areas of soil are opened briefly.

The final pass

Chickens or guinea fowl:

collect some of the insects and plant debris.

Each subsequent type is introduced only after assessing the previous impact.

19. Forage trees and shrubs

To reduce pressure on the grass stand, feeding strips are created.

Depending on the region, the following may be used:

willows;

mulberry;

ash tree;

linden;

hazel;

carob;

chestnut;

oaks;

Gleditsia - only outside the zones of its invasiveness;

local leguminous shrubs;

fruit trees;

blackberries and raspberries in controlled sectors.

Some plants are protected and used only for harvesting branch feed.

20. Water for animals

On the middle slope, water is distributed through a network of small controlled points.

Drinkers:

are placed on stable platforms;

have a sealed tank;

do not shimmer;

move regularly;

protected from pollution;

are located outside of springs and streams;

are equipped with a drained base.

Direct access of large livestock to the natural stream is limited to crossings and separate controlled areas.

21. Mobile infrastructure

Used:

portable fencing;

mobile canopies;

mobile chicken coops;

temporary enclosures;

mobile drinking bowls;

feeding stations;

veterinary modules;

DREVO AgriRail platforms;

GPS collars.

Stationary infrastructure concentrates animals and manure, so its quantity should be minimal.

22. Rotation

Each sector goes through a cycle:

examination;

admission of a certain type of animal;

short-term impact;

full output;

recovery;

monitoring;

re-admission or prolonged rest.

The length of stay is determined by the condition of the site, and not just by the number of days.

23. Grazing cessation indicators

Animals are bred if:

the undergrowth is damaged;

the soil is exposed;

mud platforms are formed;

erosion appears;

animals damage the bark;

plant diversity is declining;

flowering species disappear;

water turbidity increases;

the droppings are concentrated in one area;

animals displace wild fauna;

the area does not have time to recover between cycles.

24. Living Mountain Observatory

The system controls:

location of animals;

grass density;

vegetation height;

state of undergrowth;

tree damage;

soil compaction;

humidity;

water quality;

accumulation of manure;

number of wild fauna;

predator activity;

change in fire load.

Used:

GPS collars;

camera trap;

acoustic stations;

TREVO AeroSense Drone;

soil sensors;

cameras at water points;

satellite data;

Mountain Digital Twin.

25. Indicators of a good average slope

The system works correctly if:

different age groups of trees are preserved;

natural growth does not disappear;

open fields do not become completely overgrown;

shrub islands remain;

there are no active erosion paths;

streams remain clean;

the number of insects and birds increases;

Domestic animals do not displace wild animals;

small fire biomass is reduced;

each sector is capable of self-healing;

Forests, agriculture and animals form a single sustainable system.

What not to do

The following is not allowed:

permanent free grazing along the entire middle slope;

animal access to springs;

keeping livestock on wet soil;

releasing goats into young forests;

long-term use of pigs;

concentration of feeders in one place;

lack of quiet zones;

destruction of predators;

removal of all dead wood;

release of domestic animals into the natural core;

application of a uniform grazing rate for all areas;

conversion of forest into open pasture;

increasing the livestock population without assessing the undergrowth, water and soil.

Mission

The middle slopes have the potential to become the most productive and biologically diverse beltDREVO Living Mountains.

Here the forest can be combined with:

animals;

fruits;

nuts;

beekeeping;

wet meadows;

agriculture;

ecological corridors;

water-retaining cascades.

Large herbivores maintain clearings. Goats regulate shrubs. Pigs selectively prepare the soil. Poultry work in the gardens. Wild animals restore natural food webs. Predators maintain balance.

A high-quality mid-slope is not an area of ​​maximum grazing, but a mosaic of forest, meadows, shrubs, water, and quiet areas, where each species has its own place, time, and function.