Outdoor pig farming has been reappraised in the last two decades in many European nations: the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries and some Mediterraneans states such as France, Portugal and Spain. In Italy this extensive, free farming system has drawn some attention for several reasons linked to the use of marginal lands, the safeguard of dying breeds, the appeal of the organic farming systems, and the care of consumers for high quality products. Feeding the pig with “natural” feeds improves pork organoleptic and dietetic properties, but at the same time it might have negative environmental effects due to a difficult management of natural resources. The pig is the animal who can originate the greatest environmental problems, particularly in the woodlands. Scientific research in this field has just started, mainly in Northern Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark), focusing on the damages of free grazing pig farming. Therefore it would be interesting to make similar investigations on free rooting pig farming in woodlands and bush, habitat more and more utilized for outdoor pig farming. The environmental impact of pig rooting depends on many factors among which: excessive exploitation of herbage and shrubs, trunk scraping, soil rooting and compacting, particularly along paths. Pigs select the vegetation, consequently damages vary among different plant species; this is due also to specific resistance of tree trunks and shrub roots to scraping and rooting, respectively. Soil damages, particularly in slopes, and an alteration of the natural phytocoenosis, can lead to a progressive deterioration of the physical (decrease of stability), chemical (decrease of organic matter) and biochemical (reduction of microbial activity) characteristics of the soil, with increased risk of soil erosion, hydrogeological instability and desertification.
Impatto ambientale da pascolamento suino
PISTOIA, ALESSANDRO;FERRUZZI, GUIDO
2010-01-01
Abstract
Outdoor pig farming has been reappraised in the last two decades in many European nations: the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries and some Mediterraneans states such as France, Portugal and Spain. In Italy this extensive, free farming system has drawn some attention for several reasons linked to the use of marginal lands, the safeguard of dying breeds, the appeal of the organic farming systems, and the care of consumers for high quality products. Feeding the pig with “natural” feeds improves pork organoleptic and dietetic properties, but at the same time it might have negative environmental effects due to a difficult management of natural resources. The pig is the animal who can originate the greatest environmental problems, particularly in the woodlands. Scientific research in this field has just started, mainly in Northern Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark), focusing on the damages of free grazing pig farming. Therefore it would be interesting to make similar investigations on free rooting pig farming in woodlands and bush, habitat more and more utilized for outdoor pig farming. The environmental impact of pig rooting depends on many factors among which: excessive exploitation of herbage and shrubs, trunk scraping, soil rooting and compacting, particularly along paths. Pigs select the vegetation, consequently damages vary among different plant species; this is due also to specific resistance of tree trunks and shrub roots to scraping and rooting, respectively. Soil damages, particularly in slopes, and an alteration of the natural phytocoenosis, can lead to a progressive deterioration of the physical (decrease of stability), chemical (decrease of organic matter) and biochemical (reduction of microbial activity) characteristics of the soil, with increased risk of soil erosion, hydrogeological instability and desertification.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
