Browsing by Author "Peric, Tanja"
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- Arthropod biodiversity associated to European sheep grazed pasturesPublication . Garcia, Rosa; Peric, Tanja; Cadavez, Vasco; Ko, Nathanael; Cerqueira, Joaquim; Stanganello, R. Pietro; Fernandes, E.; Celaya, Rafael; Gonzales-Barron, Ursula; Baratta, MarioWe analysed the biodiversity of foliage arthropods in nine sheep grazed pasturelands in five European countries. During the maximum flowering period in 2018, entomofauna was collected in 4-6 areas within each pasture, performing 6 transects/area and 25 sweeps per transect. Multivariate analyses tested the differences in total arthropod community composition among degrees of intensification, bioregions and types of pastures. A total of 51,474 arthropods from 3 classes, 17 orders and 95 taxonomical groups were recorded. Univariate analyses revealed that total arthropod abundance was higher in extensive than in intensive systems (P<0.01). It also differed between bioregions (higher in Alpine than in Continental, P<0.05) and between types of pastures (higher in mountain than in lowland pastures where animals are supplemented, P<0.05). Total taxa richness was not influenced by any of the three factors. However, multivariate analyses indicated that community composition differed among intensive and extensive systems, bioregions and types of pastures (P<0.001). The greatest differences occurred between Alpine and Mediterranean (P<0.001), and Mediterranean and Continental pastures (P<0.05), as well as between lowland seminatural and improved pastures (P<0.05), and seminatural and mountain pastures (P<0.001). These results reveal the complex and varied communities associated to the diverse sheep systems and valorise the role of the mo
- Arthropod biodiversity associated to European sheep production systemsPublication . Rosa García, Rocío; Peric, Tanja; Cadavez, Vasco; Geß, Andreas; Cerqueira, Joaquim; Gonzales-Barron, Ursula; Baratta, MarioThe rural territories linked to European sheep systems still cover wide areas and provide multiple ecosystems services although the current situation of the associated biodiversity is not fully understood. In this study the foliage arthropods (including pollinators), the vegetation cover and height, the number of flowers and plant species richness were evaluated in 9 sheep grazed lands from 5 EU countries with different livestock management strategies and dominant vegetation. The total abundance of arthropods, the abundance of Diptera and Heteroptera, sward height and plant species richness were higher in more extensive than in more intensively managed farms. The total abundance and the abundance of most of the orders were highest in mountain areas (MP) and lowest in improved pastures (IMP) whereas the total arthropod richness showed no differences and the richness of pollinators was lower in IMP than in MP (p < 0.01) and semi-natural pastures (SN, p < 0.01). The grass cover was higher in IMP than in the rest of the areas whereas forb cover was higher in SN than in IMP (p < 0.01). The plant species richness peaked in MP whereas the number of flowers showed no significant differences. Sward height correlated positively with forb cover, plant species richness, the richness of the whole arthropod community, the abundance of several orders like Araneae, Diptera or Homoptera, as well as with the richness of the pollinator community. The community composition of the total arthropod fauna (p < 0.01) and the pollinators in particular (p < 0.05) differed between management strategies and more diverse groups were linked to the areas under more extensive management. Both communities (total and pollinators) also differed in composition between the types of vegetation (p < 0.01) and less diverse assemblages with low abundant taxa were associated to IMP and SN whereas more diverse groups were linked to MP and grassland-forest (WP) in both cases. A better understanding of the flora-fauna dynamics in sheep grazed pasturelands is essential for the proper conservation of the biodiversity and other ecosystem services, as well as for the maintenance of sustainable sheep systems relying on the natural resources.
- Microbial deterioration of lamb meat from European local breeds as affected by its intrinsic propertiesPublication . Gonzales-Barron, Ursula; Coelho-Fernandes, Sara; Rodrigues, Gisela; Choupina, Altino; Bermúdez Piedra, Roberto; Osoro, Koldo; Celaya, Rafael; García, Rocío R.; Peric, Tanja; Bianco, Silvia del; Piasentier, Edi; Chiesa, Francesco; Brugiapaglia, Alberto; Battaglini, Luca; Baratta, Mario; Bodas, Raúl; Lorenzo Rodriguez, Jose Manuel; Cadavez, VascoAlthough sheep meat has a small share of 1.5 % of the total meat production in the EU, sheep farming is of great importance to rural development and the environment. Enhancing the quality of lamb meat of local breeds is essential to ensure both profitability for sheep producers and the conservation of endangered breeds. This study aimed to (i) characterise the evolution of spoilage microorganisms in refrigerated vacuum-packed lamb meat from a total of 10 farms housing 8 local breeds of Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Slovenian origin raised in intensive, extensive or semi-extensive regime; and (ii) elucidate how intrinsic properties of meat can affect its microbial spoilage. Cold carcass weight (CCW), ultimate pH (pH24) and proximate analysis were quantified on carcass/meat from each of the 285 animals raised and slaughtered for this purpose; while mesophiles, lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. and psychrotrophic bacteria were enumerated during 15-day storage at 4 °C. Substantial variability in all attributes were found between the ten farms. CCW of intensively-raised lambs (21.4 kg; 95 % CI: 20.6–22.1 kg) were higher (p lt 0.05) than the ones in semi-extensive regime (14.9 kg; 95 % CI: 14.4–15.4 kg), and in turn these were heavier (p lt 0.05) than the extensively raised lambs (12.4 kg; 95 % CI: 12.0–12.7). Mean contents of protein (76.5–87.4% db), fat (3.78–13.1% db) and ashes (4.62–5.65% db) in lamb meat were highly dependent on the farm. Although meat from some farms was associated to higher microbial levels, in general, microbial growth was found to be modulated by intrinsic properties of meat. Higher pH24 (p lt 0.05), moisture (p lt 0.05), protein content (p lt 0.05) and ashes content (p lt 0.01) accelerated spoilage rate; whereas meat from heavier carcasses (p lt 0.001) and of higher fat content (p lt 0.01) presented slower growth of spoilage bacteria. In order to improve the microbial quality of lamb meat, animal handling must be enhanced to minimise pre-slaughter stress; slaughtering practices and hygiene must be improved; and a carcass classification system could be adopted towards the selection of fatter animals and chilled carcasses of optimal pH24.
- On farm welfare assessment of European fattening lambsPublication . Bodas, Raúl; García-García, Juan José; Montañés, Mónica; Benito, Alberto; Peric, Tanja; Baratta, Mario; Viola, Irene; Geß, Andreas; Ko, Nathanael; Cadavez, Vasco; Gonzales-Barron, Ursula; Domínguez, Esperanza; Olmedo, SaraIn order to evaluate the welfare of lambs reared up to 4 months of age in different management systems in Europe, nine lamb meat farms (3 in Spain, 2 in Portugal, 1 in Germany, 1 in Slovenia and 2 in Italy) belonging to different production systems (intensive, semi-intensive, semi-extensive, extensive, shepherded) throughout Europe were visited. The first level welfare assessment according to the AWIN protocol for sheep was used, the data collection flow being as follows: (1) qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA), social withdrawal, stereotypy, excessive itching, panting; (2) fleece cleanliness, fleece quality, tail length, faecal soiling, lameness; (3) familiar human approach; (4) stocking density, access to shade/shelter, water availability; (4) lamb mortality. A great heterogeneity was observed because the breeds and the productive systems in which the animals have been raised are very different; only one of the purely extensive farms had no sheds for the animals, whereas the stocking density in confined animals was always appropriate. The results showed a high degree of compliance with the needs of the animals, which also corresponded to good productive results, but the objectification of the emotional state through the QBA yielded highly variable results, those animals reared under intensive and semiintensive farms grouped around positive descriptors, which may indicate that lambs reared in intensive conditions show a different and apparently calmer mental state than those reared in very extensive conditions.
- Qualitative behaviour assessment in intensively and extensively reared lambsPublication . Bodas, Raúl; Montañés, Mónica; Cadavez, Vasco; Peric, Tanja; Baratta, Mario; Ko, Nathanael; García-García, Juan JoséQualitative behaviour assessment (QBA, from the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for sheep) relies on the ability of humans to integrate perceived details of behaviour into descriptors with emotional connotation that can be scaled and added to other quantitative indicators. The complete AWIN protocol was performed in 14 groups (6 extensive, 2 semi-intensve and 6 intensive rearing system) of 15 young lambs (2 months of age) participating in the EcoLamb project (ERA-Net SusAn funded), which aims to holistically evaluate lamb production sustainability (meat quality, ecological footprint and animal welfare). Data on QBA (items were being scaled from 0 –absence- to 10 -all the animals fully expressed the evaluated item-), familiar approach and fleece quality tests were subjected to descriptive statistics analyses and showed herein. Extensively reared lambs scored higher in descriptors such as aggressive, defensive, physically uncomfortable or apathetic, whereas intensively reared lambs showed higher values in descriptors such as agitated and fearful but also in other as active, sociable, vigorous, subdued, calm, inquisitive and assertive. Semi-intensively reared lambs scored in between. All the animals ruminated to some extent (when observed), the quality of the fleece was always acceptable and no stereotypes were recorded. Minor lameness problems were observed in one extensive farm. Regarding familiar approach, all animals (except in one farm) voluntarily approached to human, despite a flight distance of 2 to 4 m was observed at the beginning. Although animal welfare is a real complex matter to be assessed, do animals from different rearing systems express different degree of positive emotional state?