Cristin-resultat-ID: 2070261
Sist endret: 8. januar 2023, 15:46
NVI-rapporteringsår: 2022
Resultat
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2022

Virtually Fenced Goats for Grazing Fire Prone Juniper in Coastal Norway Wildland–Urban Interface

Bidragsytere:
  • Torgrim Log
  • Anna Marie Gjedrem og
  • Maria-Monika Metallinou Log

Tidsskrift

Fire
e-ISSN 2571-6255
NVI-nivå 1

Om resultatet

Vitenskapelig artikkel
Publiseringsår: 2022
Publisert online: 2022
Trykket: 2022
Volum: 5
Hefte: 6
Artikkelnummer: 188
Open Access

Importkilder

Scopus-ID: 2-s2.0-85144639368

Klassifisering

Vitenskapsdisipliner

Samfunnsgeografi

Emneord

Levende laboratorium • Samfunnssikkerhet • Brannsikkerhet • Geit

Beskrivelse Beskrivelse

Tittel

Virtually Fenced Goats for Grazing Fire Prone Juniper in Coastal Norway Wildland–Urban Interface

Sammendrag

For millennia, the coastal heathlands of Western Europe were managed by regular burning cycles for improved grazing. In recent decades, this practice has generally been neglected. In Norway, the result is accumulation of degenerated heather and highly combustible Juniperus communis (juniper) encroachment, i.e., an increasing fire threat to a rising number of homes in the wildland–urban interface (WUI). In the present study, goats grazing a 1.2 ha site partly encroached by fire-prone juniper were studied in a living lab approach. Twelve wethers (castrated male goats) wearing solar-powered Nofence GPS collars were virtually fenced to protect villa gardens bordering the site during eight weeks from 18 April 2022. Besides some early operator errors, tree shadows and cloudy days limiting battery charging, the system worked well. Photographs taken prior to and after the grazing revealed that only 39% of the junipers had 90+% remaining foliage while for 41%, the foliage was reduced to below 10%, making them far less fire-prone. The goats were frequently visited by neighborhood residents of all ages, school classes, and kindergartens. Moreover, local newspapers and TV stations broadcasted the initiative. Although divided regarding debarked deciduous trees, the neighbors stated that the goats were well accepted. Despite some limited loss of garden plants, all interviewed residents bordering the site were positive about the goats “bringing life to the forest” and, if possible, welcomed them back for other grazing periods. Virtually fenced grazing goats may represent a sustainable solution for reducing fire hazards in the WUI also elsewhere.

Bidragsytere

Torgrim Log

  • Tilknyttet:
    Forfatter
    ved Institutt for sikkerhet, kjemi- og bioingeniørfag ved Høgskulen på Vestlandet

Anna Marie Gjedrem

  • Tilknyttet:
    Forfatter
    ved Institutt for sikkerhet, kjemi- og bioingeniørfag ved Høgskulen på Vestlandet
  • Tilknyttet:
    Forfatter
    ved European University Cyprus

Maria-Monika Metallinou Log

  • Tilknyttet:
    Forfatter
    ved Institutt for sikkerhet, kjemi- og bioingeniørfag ved Høgskulen på Vestlandet
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