GIS-MODEL as tool for program planning and management of pastoral areas

Recent political priorities in Europe aim to: rationalize agricultural production, reduce pollution, upgrade the environment, maintain rural infrastructures and to meet new societal concerns such as product quality and animal welfare. The problems of zootechnical sustainability appear to be of a very complex nature. Today, the main approach used to study the complexity of the phenomenon is the use of simulation models.In this thesis the application of simulation models is supported by the integration of informatics systems GIS. This thesis propose two studies. The first is the implementation of GIS with the EISR mathematical model for the planning and management of the stocking rate for all the Sardinian region territory, with detail of 1:50.000, in order to evaluate areas of Sardinia that are at risk of desertification following the activities of animal breeding. The amendments to this process for the decade 1995-2005, have also been assessed. The second regards the use of GIS for the management of marginal pasture areas of the Goceano region (SS). Thirteen farms were studied and we used their econimical and managing data as input of our matematical models. Through this mathematical models we calculated: stocking rates (ABU ha/year), nitrogen excretions, and net profit/ABU. These parameters were spazialized by using GIS software and then we create the relative mapping. This analysis allowed us to evaluate the sustainability of zootechnical farms in this study area.