•Goats and sheep play an important role for livestock farming in mountain regions.•Endoparasitic infections are a major threat and effective control measures needed.•Alternatives to the regular use ...of anthelmintics are only applied exceptionally.•Awareness for coprological analysis and selective treatment has to be improved.
In mountainous areas, where small ruminants form an integral part of livestock farming, an effective control of parasites is of high importance, because the animals are grazing on communal pasture land during the summer months. But knowledge on the infection status of the animals, which is needed for an effective control, is very limited in these areas. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of endoparasitic infections and the use of preventive measures in sheep and goat farms in South Tyrol, a mountainous region of Northern Italy. A questionnaire was used to collect information on farm structure and management as well as routine parasite control measures. Following the survey, a total of 3536 individual fecal samples from 123 sheep and goat flocks were analysed over three periods in autumn 2015, spring and autumn 2016 with routine methods including fecal egg counts (FEC) and oocysts counts (FOC). Animals were classified into <6 months, 7–12 months and >12 months of age. Goat flocks had an average herd size of 31 (range 5–125) and sheep flocks of 28 animals (range 2–100). Mountain sheep and goat breeds were dominant. More than 60% of the sheep and 40% the goat flocks were grazed on communal summer pastures at altitudes >1500 m a.s.l. Both sheep and goat farmers perceived gastrointestinal strongylid nematodes (GIN) as the most frequent parasites. Only 16% of the sheep and 30% of the goat farmers ever before this study did coprological examinations. More than 90% of the farms applied anthelmintic treatments; usually once (sheep: 32%, goats: 53%) or twice (sheep: 68%, goats: 42%) per year. Independent of the season, macrocyclic lactones were the most commonly used anthelmintics. More than 30% of the sheep-12 months and 16% >12 months were GIN-negative. Sheep <6 months had a lower FEC than animals of both other age classes (P < 0.05). In goats, 15.9% of the samples collected from animals <6 months were GIN-free. Age classes, however, did not differ for FEC in goats (P > 0.05). Third-stage larvae identified in coprocultures were dominated by Teladorsagia/Trichostrongylus in both sheep (56.5 ± 24.5%) and goats (60.5 ± 25.8%). While in sheep lambs had a higher FOC than both other age classes, kids did not differ from goats at an age of 7–12 months but only from those >12 months (P < 0.05). In sheep, tapeworms were found in around 13% in both groups below 12 months and 6.5% in sheep>12 months, while these parasites were identified in 18.5, 7.3 and 5.7% in goats <6 months, 7–12 months and >12 months, respectively. The prevalence of lungworms at flock level varied between seasons from 18 to 50% in sheep and 44–78% in goats. This first report on endoparasitic infections of sheep and goats in the mountainous region of South Tyrol reveals a high prevalence of endoparasites, especially GIN at a medium infection level, tapeworms and lungworms. Anthelmintics are regularly used, while fecal sampling for selective treatment only exceptionally. Therefore, parasite control measures should be optimized to reduce the risk for the development of anthelmintic resistance, which was already reported from neighboring regions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
In the search for the psychology of heritage places, the tangible and intangible qualities of heritage are closely intertwined. This article sheds light on the sentiments, insights and attitudes that ...historic environments can evoke in people, by using the characteristics of old summer mountain farming landscapes as a platform to further discuss how the psychology of these heritage places can be linked to the present-day era of public environmental consciousness. These heritage places can be assets to the recreation and tourism industries. Mountain-farming landscapes can provide a rural escape from a commonplace urban lifestyle. The historical buildings on these historical farming properties, sometimes dating to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, can provide experiential value through the senses, such as touch, smell, sound and sight: the tangible and intangible aspects of aged wooden architecture. Such 'landscapes with atmosphere' and 'landscapes of affect' can fill an emotional need in people searching for a connection to nature, seeking solitude, silence and privacy, away from everyday routines in a crowded urban world. Increased public environmental consciousness and awareness of climate change, including seasonal alterations, also affect people's views of the importance of safeguarding natural and cultural resources.
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BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anthelmintics in goats raised under mountain farming conditions in northern Italy. On 8 goat farms (n = 143 animals), a faecal egg count reduction (FECR) ...test was done after farmers conducted their routine anthelmintic treatments. Furthermore, on 5 goat farms (n = 135 animals) a FECR test was done under controlled conditions applying oral formulations of a macrocyclic lactone (ML), benzimidazole (BZ) (partly in combination with salicylanilide (SA)) or a combination of imidazothiazole (IT) and SA on the same farm. AR was assumed if FECR and the upper confidence interval (CI) was < 95% and the lower 95% CI was < 90%.
Underdosing was found in 6 of the 8 farms tested after routine treatments. Out of the 6 routinely ML-treated goat flocks, only three were found where ML showed adequate efficacy. FECR in all others ranged between 64 and 93%. In one flock Trichostrongylus spp. and in one Haemonchus spp. larvae were identified after treatment. BZ-treated flocks had an efficacy of 99 and 37%. Larvae identified after treatment were Trichostrongylus spp. in one and Haemonchus spp. in the other flock. Under controlled conditions, ML had an adequate efficacy on 4 farms and a FECR of 88% on another one. BZ was effective on all farms. The combination of BZ and SA had a FECR of 99% on the farm it was tested. IT + SA in combination was effective on 2 farms and had a FECR of 91% on a third farm. Larvae identified after treatment were composed of Haemonchus spp. (ML and BZ), Trichostrongylus spp. (BZ) and Teladorsagia spp. (BZ and SA).
This first report on the prevalence of AR in goats in the mountainous region of South Tyrol reveals a low efficacy of the most commonly used anthelmintics after routine treatments. This might be explained by a high level of underdosing as observed in the farms. However, results from the controlled FECR tests suggest that the observed level of AR was lower but cannot be solely explained by underdosing.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ecosystem services (ESs) can be defined as the values and benefits provided by ecosystems for human well-being. The main characteristic of ESs is that they benefit people. Agriculture is an important ...provider of ESs for society, culture, the environment and the economy. In mountain areas, agriculture embodies different functions. This work assesses the value of ESs provided by mountain farms according to mountain tourists’ opinions, using a Choice Experiments (CEs) approach and quantitative surveys. CEs allow multiple scenarios with different attributes associated with monetary values that respondents had to choose. The sample comprised 840 mountain tourists, interviewed through an online survey in April 2020. The main results show that the ESs provided by agriculture and preferred by tourists are the maintenance of pastures and grazing, which are considered to shape the mountain landscape and provide for cultural and environmental ESs. Moreover, biodiversity conservation is another one of the most appreciated attributes, being fundamental for protecting the environment. A noticeable result is the importance associated with the ES provided by agriculture related to the regulation of hydrogeological assets, meaning that the awareness of the hydrogeological instability of mountain slopes is widespread and that tourists are sensitive to this topic.
Anthelmintic resistance (AR) in sheep raised under mountain farming conditions in South Tyrol (Northern Italy) was assessed on eight farms (n=99 animals). A faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was ...done after routine anthelmintic treatments. Furthermore, on 27 farms (n=306 animals), a FECR test was conducted after oral formulations of a macrocyclic lactone (ML), benzimidazole (BZ) (partly in combination with salicylanilide (SA)) or a combination of imidazothiazole and SA were applied under controlled conditions on the same farm. Following routine treatments, three of five ML-treated flocks showed an adequate efficacy, while the other two reached a FECR of only around 75 per cent. A wide range of gastrointestinal nematode genera were identified in one flock following the treatment. From the three BZ-treated flocks, only one showed an adequate FECR, both other farms reached 68 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. Under controlled conditions, FECR ranged between 77 per cent and 81 per cent indicating AR for all the applied anthelmintics. Trichostrongylus species, Teladorsagia species and Haemonchus species were identified after ML treatment, Teladorsagia species after BZ treatment and Trichostrongylus species and Haemonchus species after combined BZ and SA application. Taking into consideration that underdosing might have affected results of the routine treatments, a high prevalence of AR was found in sheep under mountain farming conditions.
Family farms are characterized by the fact that they are passed down within the family from one generation to the next. In this way, the orientation of parents and especially farm owners is also ...passed on to children. With regard to this characteristic, this paper proceeds from the hypothesis that owners’ beliefs, opinions, and perceptions have an important impact on farm succession in Slovenia. It has been established that an owner’s positive attitude, encouragement, and positive opinion of a farm, its structure, and development can strongly influence the potential successor’s decision to take over the farm and continue farming, and thus preserve continuity between generations and consequently enable the farm’s further development and existence.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
V prispevku izhajamo iz spoznanja, da je eden od temeljnih pogojev za zagotavljanje socialne varnosti starejše generacije kmečkega prebivalstva uspešen prenos kmetij na mlajšo generacijo. Ker se ...mladi vse redkeje odločajo za prevzeme kmetij, kar je v Sloveniji značilno predvsem za hribovska območja, smo preučili, kateri dejavniki vplivajo na nasledstvo na kmetijah. Raziskava je pokazala, da imajo najbolj izrazit vpliv dejavniki, skozi katere se odražajo tradicija oziroma tradicionalni vzorci mišljenj in ravnanj ter stališča, percepcije in mnenja gospodarjev, predvsem pa dejavniki, ki izražajo ekonomsko moč kmetij. V zaključku prispevka so navedeni nekateri predlogi, na podlagi katerih bi se mladi za prevzemanje kmetij in ohranjanje kmetijske dejavnosti na njih pogosteje odločali, s tem pa tudi za zagotavljanje ustrezne socialne varnost nekdanjih gospodarjev in njegovih partnerjev po predaji kmetij naslednikom.
The paper presents the most important results of research carried out within the framework of the doctoral thesis, “The relationship between succession on mountain farms in Slovenia and their ...socio-geographical structure”. In the introduction, the broader framework and purpose of the research is presented, while in the continuation the terms, methods and techniques employed are described, as well as the target group and research sample. The results follow systematically in a logical progression, whereas the conclusions include the author’s reflections and determinations regarding the results. In the conclusion, principled solutions to the indicated problems are offered. Since the effect of the factors of the socio-geographical structure of farms on farm succession is complex, solutions are not simple.
This paper discusses the influence of single factors of the socio-geographical structure of mountain farms in Slovenia, independent of each other, as well as in conjunction with each other upon farm ...succession statuses and decisions. The methodology is described in detail, especially the discrete choice models by which these influences were assessed. The results were linked with findings from other researchers and show that the householder’s perceptions about mountain farms, work and life on the farm, as well as tradition hold the most vital role with regard to succession on mountain farms. At the same time, in order to ensure succession and continuation of farming on the mountain farm, an appropriate economic basis must be assured.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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