Effectiveness of grazing management plan prepared by forest administration: A case study on Isparta-Sütçüler Forest Discrict

Turkey's goat breeding; With scarce possibilities, it is realized only with the hair goats, which are grazed in inadequate pastures, and adapted to the climate and agricultural production cycle of the regions where they are located. Hair goat is a productive goat breed combined with the highest number of goats in our country. In our country, a rapid decrease in the number of sheep and goats until 2008 is observed. The number of goats and breeders has declined over the years due to the pressure and fines imposed on goat breeders, which are also known to forest workers who have been living in the forest for thousands of years, especially nomadic goats. However, as a result of the cooperation between the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry as a result of the support of the provincial unions, which have recently started to accelerate the sheep and goat breeding in recent years, especially the universities, the result is that the hair goat is a part of the forest and the forest is a production branch. The accepted areas of forest areas were accepted as an important grassland area for goat breeding. However, the grazing plans prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry are prepared without relying on any scientific studies, and grassland areas are not sufficient for the best use of goat breeding. The number of goats that can be grazed within one year is 2 per hectare in the grazing areas allowed in the law. For the purpose of our study, we compared the grazing plan prepared by the Sütçüler Forest Management Directorate according to the scientific studies that determine the optimum time of grazing of the kermes oak, the best time to graze in the year and the optimum number of goats per hectare within one year. According to scientific studies, 4 goats per hectare can be grazed in free grazing areas with a 100% closure rate. According to this result, we have determined 3 different parcels in the areas where grazing is allowed in villages and we have calculated the rate of covering the grazing areas of the kermes oak. According to these ratios, we found the optimum number of goats to be grazed in these areas. While the number of goats that can be grazed at 57,605 hectares was calculated as 81,453, this number was calculated as 57.605 goats in the grazing management plan prepared by the forestry administration. This result is less than 23,848 goats from the optimum number determined in this study. In the study, when we compared the grazing plan with our study, it was determined that the grazing areas in the villages were sufficient for the number of goats, but according to our study, there were slans that could be more than the number of goats present. This result confirms the decrease in the number of goats in the region from 6 thousand to 3 thousand in the region since 1991. This decrease in the number of goats brought about some problems. Some of these problems are; Lack of animal husbandry inputs in the economy, increase in colonizing plants in the region, increase in the amount of hay that adds more risk to forest fire, migration of people engaged in animal husbandry to the city, degradation of integrated culture of animal husbandry. Our solution suggestions to eliminate these problems are as follows; In Isparta region, goat farms where grazing is inadequate and which will be exposed to overgrazing can be determined. Then, in areas designated by the Sütçüler Forest Management Center Directorate, the areas available for free grazing can be evaluated for the areas that have goat population below the grazing capacity and the goat can benefit. Support for rural development should be given to the level of education of the breeders. Positive and fastest paths should be preferred in animal production. Forest villagers should benefit from social security rights more effectively. Forest villagers in the region can produce various animal products by activating in production through projects, cooperatives, unions and equipment to process animal products. Animal products; In the chain, which will be formed from the sector, processing and packaging until it is delivered to the consumers, the forest villagers who have been put into the background by adding a new employment area to the region will be given a positive place in the economy. These steps will increase the economic, cultural and social level of the region.