Ecosystems

Mediterranean Scrub

Man and the biome

Breeding

In Mediterranean scrub areas, there generally is a marked difference between harsh winters and long hot summers. This natural condition forces shepherds to use high pastures during the summer and to move to milder climates, which are therefore closer to the sea, during the winter. This migration led to the development of a peculiar breeding culture: transhumance. Even if there are many historical and geographical differences among the different breeding systems, transhumant culture is common and similar in all those countries that are related to the Mediterranean. It can be defined as a breeding model based on the alternate and periodical movement of flocks between two regions with different climates. Breeding mainly concerns sheep and goats; cattle only to a certain extent.