Misplaced Pages

#992007

33-512: There are no permanent settlements in Kornati. Simple houses in well-protected coves such as Vrulje, Kravjačica, Lavsa and others are used by mainland landowners as temporary shelters. Most of the land owners are from the island of Murter and Dugi Otok . The average monthly temperature for January is 7.3 °C (45.1 °F), in July it is 23.9 °C (75.0 °F); the average sea temperature in winter

66-637: A 20 m (66 ft) wide sea canal at Tisno which is spanned by a short draw-bridge. The island covers an area of about 18.7 km (7.2 sq mi), and the highest point is the peak of Raduč at 125 metres (410 feet) above sea level . There are old military tunnels dug deep inside the hill. The southwestern coastline is predominantly steep slopes divided by many sandy coves . The island has many rocky beaches, as well as several sandy ones. The island has been populated for nearly two millennia. An Illyric - Roman settlement known as Colentum has been found near Betina. In 1293, documents show that Murter

99-559: A 70-year period, identifying overgrazing, global changes, and the ecological effects of megafauna extinction as key factors. Their findings shed light on the multifaceted drivers behind changes in savannah ecosystems. Echoing this theme of alternative strategies to combat overgrazing, Kriegisch et al. (2019) demonstrated how drift- kelp availability could reduce the foraging movement of overgrazing sea urchins, suggesting that alternative food sources may significantly influence grazing behaviors and aid in managing marine ecosystem pressures. In

132-470: A similar vein, the research by Cai et al. (2020) presents a stark example of the terrestrial impact of overgrazing, showing how the fertile island effect collapses under extreme conditions in shrub-encroached grasslands . This case study emphasizes the critical need for sustainable grazing practices to protect soil health and maintain ecosystem functionality, further illustrating the wide-reaching consequences of overgrazing across diverse habitats. Overgrazing

165-512: Is 14 to 15 °C (57 to 59 °F) and in summer 22.8 °C (73.0 °F). Geographically the Kornati islands can be divided into two main groups - the Gornji Kornati or Upper Kornati, closer to the mainland, and the Donji Kornati or Lower Kornati, which are mostly facing the open sea in the southwest. The islands known as Gornji Kornati include the northernmost island of Sit and

198-458: Is a massive threat to the native species of flora and fauna, especially the native bushes which are often overlooked by invasive species looking for homes. Mustalids, rabbits, hares and possums often eat the plants that hold soil together. This makes the ground very unstable and crumbly. If soil is unstable, it is prone to collapse in extreme weather events such as floods and heavy rain. This is detrimental to farmers of crops and animals alike. 40% of

231-517: Is also sparse. As regards marine life, the Kornati islands are typical of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, but, due to the underwater relief, streams and special characteristics of the sea in this labyrinth, there are also some peculiarities: algae , coral and sponges . At one time the sea was the richest in the Adriatic for sponge hunters. The rare mollusc Pinna nobilis lives in the Kornati and

264-502: Is considered the main cause of woody plant encroachment at the expenses of grasses on a land area of up to 45 million hectares. In many arid zones in Australia , overgrazing by sheep and cattle during the 19th century, as pastoralism was introduced by European settlers, caused many long-lived species of trees and shrubs to give way to short-lived annual plants and weed species. Introduced feral rabbits , cats and foxes exacerbated

297-560: Is protected by law. Not only the land but also the sea is within the protection of the National Park. Fishing is extremely limited in order to allow the regeneration of fish shoals that had been severely over-fished. According to tradition, the Mediterranean monk seal ( Monachus albiventur ) once lived among these islands. The name of the southernmost point on Vela Kurka (Mendo) is connected with this almost extinct species. Vegetation on

330-548: Is thought that the Kornati islands were once covered with forests of Mediterranean holm oaks, Quercus ilex , but as open fires demanded a great deal of wood, the forests were slowly destroyed; the sole remnant is round the bay of Telašćica . Murter Murter ( pronounced [mǔrtɛːr] ; Italian : Mortero ; Latin : Colentum ) is an island in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea . The main settlements on

363-630: Is used as an example in the economic concept now known as the Tragedy of the Commons devised in a 1968 paper by Garrett Hardin . This cited the work of a Victorian economist who used as an example the over-grazing of common land. Hardin's example could only apply to unregulated use of land regarded as a common resource. Normally, rights of use of common land in England and Wales were, and still are, closely regulated, and available only to "commoners". If excessive use

SECTION 10

#1732855477993

396-575: The American bison of the Great Plains , or migratory wildebeest of the African savannas , or by holistic planned grazing. Overgrazing typically increases soil erosion . With continued overutilization of land for grazing, there is an increase in degradation. This leads to poor soil conditions that only xeric and early successional species can tolerate. A meta-analysis of 148 studies found that

429-553: The 6th century AD. The island of Piškera was also inhabited during the Middle Ages and served as a storage point for fish. Archeological sites in Stražišče and Tarac, and on Levrnaka and Lavsa provide evidence that during the Roman era life on Kornati was very active. There are many buildings and it is known that there were also stone quarries. During the long period of Venetian occupation ,

462-467: The Donji Kornati, which includes the island of Kornat and the surrounding islets, separated with a channel from the island of Piškera and the surrounding islets. The national park includes 109 islands, of which 76 are less than 1 hectare in size. Of the total land surface area of Kornati, 62 km (24 sq mi), or 85%, is stony, and only 5% has been cultivated. The most important places on

495-561: The Kornati islands are: the shallow channel Mala Proversa, the oval-shaped Taljurič island, Špinuta Bay, Stivina Bay, the fourth largest island Levrnaka, the second largest karst rock-area Tarac, Svršata Vela island, Mana island, Piškera island, Panitula Vela island, the picturesque Lavsa Bay, the resort island Ravni Žakan, Smokvica Vela island, the Opat peninsula, Samograd island, the Purara reserve for marine life, Vrgada and Gangarol islands. The names of

528-428: The Kornati islands is karst-limestone which, in the distant geological past, arose from sediment from the sea. In the stone on the islands there are numerous fossils of crustaceans and fish. In the area there examples of all the typical forms of karst: bizarre shapes formed by the atmosphere, unexplored caves, areas of flat rock and, above all, cliffs. Karst rock is porous, rapidly draining and dry, and so therefore are

561-454: The Kornati islands. Numerous cisterns supply water for people and animals. Human presence on the Kornati islands appear to extend back to the Neolithic Age , and the remains of Illyrian settlements were found on the island of Kornat. The presence of wealthy Romans is attested by the mosaic floors of Roman villas , and Kornat island has a small tower, Toreta , that was probably built in

594-563: The Mongolian steppes, Liu et al. (2013) found that approximately 60% of vegetation decline could be attributed to climate factors, with the rest significantly influenced by increased goat density due to overgrazing. This points to a complex interplay between climate change and grazing practices in ecosystem degradation. Further expanding our understanding, Stevens et al. (2016) investigated woody encroachment in South African savannahs over

627-864: The Turks. In a naval battle in June 1944, the Yugoslav torpedo boat T7 - then part of the pro-Nazi Navy of the Independent State of Croatia - was driven aground on Murter and destroyed by Royal Navy Fairmile D motor torpedo boats . Overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves , or nature reserves . It can also be caused by immobile, travel restricted populations of native or non-native wild animals . Overgrazing reduces

660-405: The biodiversity. Turning to the aquatic environment, Ling et al. (2015) have documented the phenomenon of catastrophic sea urchin overgrazing and its role in marine ecosystem regime shifts. Their study underscores the urgent need for effective management and conservation strategies to mitigate the profound ecological impacts of overgrazing, highlighting the issue's global scope. Similarly, on

693-414: The island are Murter , located on the north-western part of the island, and the southern part of Tisno . Other settlements on the island include the villages of Betina on the northwestern side and Jezera on the southeastern coast. In the 2011 census, the total island population is about 3,608 inhabitants. The island is in the northwest part of the Šibenik archipelago, separated from the mainland by

SECTION 20

#1732855477993

726-462: The islands Babina Guzica and Kurba Vela, which in Croatian refer to buttocks and prostitution , offer an opportunity to explain the many vulgar names officially given to many places in the Kornati archipelago. When Austrian surveyors came to record the archipelago at the end of the 19th century, their local guides mocked them by making up vulgar names for the various locations. Kornat , the biggest of

759-477: The islands is very sparse maquis . There have been 200 known varieties of Mediterranean plants, but they have degenerated. The most common plant is a tough variety of grass, but there are many scented and medicinal herbs: sage , feather grass and Xeranthemum , giving a fragrant spring, and during the year providing the best forage for bees. Olive trees account for about 80% of the land under cultivation, followed by vineyards, figs, orchards and vegetable gardens. It

792-562: The islands were used for resupplying the Venetian fleet. Deforestation and subsequent erosion, and overgrazing by sheep and goats, for whose benefit the scrub was periodically burnt over, impoverished the fauna and depopulated the islands, which were purchased by citizens of Murter during the late 19th century. Apart from sea-gulls , which are the most numerous animals, there are some lizards and ring-snakes, and 69 varieties of butterfly , some amphibians and rodents. The local ichthyological fauna

825-413: The islands with a total area of 32.44 square kilometres (12.53 sq mi), comprises two-thirds of the park's land area. Although the island is 25.2 kilometres (15.7 mi) long, it is no wider than 2.5 km (2 mi). The park is managed from the town of Murter , on the island of the same name , which is connected to the mainland by a drawbridge in the town of Tisno . Most of the terrain in

858-424: The surrounding islets, divided by a channel from Žut and its surrounding islets to the south. Žut is the largest and most indented of these islands. In 1980, the 89 southernmost of the 140-odd islands, islets and reefs of the Kornati archipelago were declared a national park , Nacionalni Park Kornati , protecting the islands and their marine surroundings. The area covered by the national park mostly coincides with

891-862: The surrounding land in Australia. In the Caribbean region, overgrazing is a threat to vegetation areas where there is livestock farming, which is an important source of livelihood and food security for many people. a combination of small scale livestock farming with small ruminants, and mixed farming is practised. However, livestock consume vegetation faster than it can be renewed and this leads to land degradation, loss of vegetative areas, and soil erosion resulting in poor quality feed and reduced livestock yields and income. Also, these grazing lands are critical in controlling carbon dioxide and mitigating risks against severe weather such as floods and droughts. Overgrazing weakens ecological conservation. In New Zealand , overgrazing

924-599: The threat to both flora and fauna . Many bird species have become extinct or endangered, and many of the medium-sized desert mammals are now completely extinct or only exist on a few islands of Australia . Overgrazing can also occur with native species. In the Australian Capital Territory , the local government in 2013 authorised a cull of 1455 kangaroos due to overgrazing. Maisie Carr (1912-1988), Ecologist and Botanist, undertook significant research and studies in overgrazing and established consequences on

957-676: The use of common land in England and Wales was a triumph of conserving a scarce resource using agreed custom and practice. There have been overgrazing consequences in the region Sahel region. The violent herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria , Mali , Sudan and other countries in the Sahel region have been exacerbated by land degradation and overgrazing. See 2010 Sahel famine . Various countries in Sub-Sahara Africa are affected by overgrazing and resulting ecological effects. In Namibia , overgrazing

990-442: The usefulness, productivity and biodiversity of the land and is one cause of desertification and erosion . Overgrazing is also seen as a cause of the spread of invasive species of non-native plants and of weeds . Degrading land, emissions from animal agriculture and reducing the biomass in a ecosystem contribute directly to climate change between grazing events. Successful planned grazing strategies have been in support of

1023-483: The value of most ecosystem functions declines with increasing grazing intensity and that increasing aridity weakens positive impacts of light grazing. Native plant grass species, both individual bunch grasses and in grasslands , are especially vulnerable. For example, excessive browsing by white-tailed deer can lead to the growth of less preferred species of grasses and ferns or non-native plant species that can potentially displace native, woody plants, decreasing

Kornati - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-432: Was called "Villa Magna' meaning big village. During the 13th century there were two documented settlements on the island: Jezera and Veliko Selo. Srimač (now Murter) and the island itself were mentioned in the year 1318 as Insula Mortari. Betina and Tisno were most likely built around the beginning of the 15th century, during the time of Ottoman attacks in the area. The population of the island increased as refugees fled from

1089-433: Was made of common land, for example in overgrazing, a common would be "stinted", that is, a limit would be put on the number of animals each commoner was allowed to graze. These regulations were responsive to demographic and economic pressure; thus rather than let a common become degraded, access was restricted even further. This important part of actual historic practice was absent from the economic model of Hardin. In reality

#992007