Half a century range management in Greece: conclusions and perspectives

Range management started to be applied in Greece by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1951 as “improvement of grazing lands” and in 2000 completed 50 years of history. Range education was initiated in 1961 in the School of Forestry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while in 1963 the Macedonica and Thrace Forest Experiment Station was founded at Thessaloniki with a special section on range research. The Fodder Crops Institute at Larissa was founded before the II World War but in 1997 it was expanded to also include rangelands. Finally, the Hellenic Range and Pasture Society was founded in 1992 to include all range scientists and since then it organized two national rangeland congresses. During the 50 years, range management became part of the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture, but it never gained priority compared to its traditional main activities, such as plant production and forestry. Despite the numerous and successful efforts which were made all these years so that rangelands are improved and used rationally, they continue to be improperly utilized. The perspectives for the new century are favorable, since rangelands are becoming important for organic products in livestock husbandry and for the environment as a whole.