Percorrer por autor "Bennani, Lina"
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- Seasonal Grazing Patterns of Sheep Herds: A GPS-Based Study in Northern PortugalPublication . Bennani, Lina; Castro, José; Salaheddine, EssaghiPastoral systems in Mediterranean mountain regions are increasingly challenged by climatic shifts, landscape transformations, and the need for sustainable resource use. Yet, how these pressures shape daily and seasonal grazing decisions in traditional systems remains insufficiently understood. This thesis investigates the spatio-temporal dynamics of sheep grazing in Montesinho Natural Park, northern Portugal, using 15 months of high-frequency GNSS collar data from a Churra Galega Bragançana Branca ewe. GPS trajectories were processed through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to derive variables such as grazing duration, movement length, and land cover use. were complemented by terrain variables—including elevation, relative slope position (RSP), and topographic wetness index (TWI)—and by temporal markers tied to solstices and equinoxes. Principal Component Analysis revealed three dominant behavioral patterns: seasonal intensity of grazing, spatial shifts between plateau croplands and valley mosaics, and transitions between spring pastures and autumn shrublands. Results show that grazing behavior is not only shaped by daylight duration and temperature but also reflects strategic adaptation to terrain and vegetation structure. Summer grazing is characterized by extended, bimodal activity patterns and high land-use diversity, while winter behavior is more constrained in both time and space. These findings underscore the value of fine-scale movement data for understanding traditional grazing systems and supporting adaptive, landscape-sensitive management practices in protected areas.