Page 146 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 1

The significance of pastures

in extensive production are not taken into consideration (Steinfeld, 2006;
O'Brien et al, 2016; Saunois et al, 2020; Geß et al, 2020). There are many
successful examples to restorative agricultural practices in pastures. The
Turkish branch of Savory Institute “Anadolu Meraları” (Anatolian Pastures)
aims to mitigate the effects of climate change due to greenhouse gas
emissions through “Holistic Grazing Management”, and/or as called in the
literature, “Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing Management” (Clarke, 2021;
Anadolu Meraları, 2021).
The fact that Holistic Grazing Management enables more carbon storage
in the soil can be proved through Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) (Thorbecke and
Dettling, 2019; Clarke, 2021). In the land reserved for the studies of Anadolu
Meraları in Çanakkale, Biga, as well as in the lands of many producers who
join training sessions (in places like İzmir, Menderes) and the fields where the
institution provides consultancy, it is possible to observe the effects of many
practices such as stubble burning and grazing as well as the animal effects
on ecosystem services such as water, mineral and energy cycles. Moreover,
the fertility of the soil (minerals and organic materials) and carbon emission
capacity are increased through mobile paddocking system, which imitates the
movements of herds in nature (Hazar, 2018; Clarke, 2021).
Different from continental bioregions, which largely depend on intensive
production, in the Mediterranean bioregions, extensive production is
promoted in many pastures for many reasons including the sustainability
of biodiversity and rural landscape (Geß et al, 2020; Sañudo et al, 2007).
Preventing pastures from being used for agriculture or for non-agricultural
land use is an important issue in countries within Mediterranean bioregion
such as Türkiye. This is because pastures play an essential role in carbon
absorption capacity, preservation of biodiversity, prevention of erosion, and
providing forage diversity (Hazar and Velibeyoğlu, 2018).
As natural assets, rural-ecological commons and carbon sinks, pastures
play a critical role in mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change
and food security. For this reason, the relevant concepts concerning pastures
must be studied in detail.

Pastures: Rural-Ecological Commons

Pastures, whose user group is explicit in the literature of commons (village/
villagers, shepherds and the number of animals, etc.), seem to have an
important place in rural-ecological commons (Hardin, 1968; Ostrom, 1990).
Commons, which are available to public, whose use right is usually superior
to property rights, are assets that belong to everyone. Commons are divided

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