Impact of Transhumant Livestock Grazing Abandonment on Pseudo-Alpine Grasslands in Greece in the Context of Climatic Change

Pseudo-alpine grassland ecosystems have started to decline during the past few decades. According many studies, climate change and abandonment of traditional anthropogenic activities are directly linked this phenomenon. However, interaction these two factors with pseudo-alpine grasslands has not been studied in Greece. The aim study was assess impact climatic transhumant livestock grazing on structure stability Mt Vermio Zireia. Geographic Information System data land use/land cover from 1945 2020, as well climatological data, examined presented. Landscape metrics were also used quantify landscape changes. Although both mountains’ reduced size, Zireia experienced an upward treeline shift, which seems be result change, while Vermio, more severe transhumance caused horizontal tree expansion. There strong indications that a rise temperature is main driver for increase treeline.