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POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER BUFFALOES IN GREEK WETLANDS1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

A. Georgoudis ,
Ch. Ligda  and
J. Boyazoglu
A. Georgoudis
Affiliation:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, GR-540 06 Thessaloniki, GREECE
Ch. Ligda
Affiliation:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, GR-540 06 Thessaloniki, GREECE
J. Boyazoglu
Affiliation:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, GR-540 06 Thessaloniki, GREECE
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Summary

The present study was carried out with the aim of proposing the preservation of buffaloes not only as productive livestock, but also as a part of the diversity of the Greek wetlands. The total buffalo total population in Greece was in the late 40's over 100 000 animals. At present, only a few hundred animals are found in four Ramsar wetland sites in Macedonia and Thrace. This small population is threatened with immediate extinction because of the rapidly changing rural socioeconomic conditions and the expansion of cultivated fields in the old marshiands. Furthermore, consumers are rapidly losing contact with buffaloes and their products.

Resume

Cette étude a pour but de proposer la preservation des buffles, non seulement comme des animaux d'é1evage, mais aussi, comme une partie de la diversité des zones humides. La population totale des buffles en Gréce vers 1950 était de plus de 100.000 animaux. Actuellement, seulement quelques centaines d'animaux existent dans quatres Ramsar, zones humides de la Macédoine et de la Thrace. Cette petite population est menacée d'extinction a cause du changement rapide des conditions socio-économiques et de I’ expansion des terres cultivées dans ]es vieux marais. En outre, les consommateurs perdent rapidement le contact avec les buffles et leurs produits.

Keywords

Genetic ResourcesBuffaloGreeceRessources génétiquesbufflesGréce
Type
Research Articles
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 14 , April 1994 , pp. 79 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1994

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Footnotes

1

This study was co-funded by the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (I 4th km Thessaloniki-Mihaniona, GR - 570 01 Thermi, Greece) and the Department of AnimalScience, Faculty of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

References

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