THE CONTRIBUTION OF GRASSLANDS IN THE MANNER OF LAND USE FROM THE HILL AREA OF BANAT IN RELATION TO LIVESTOCK

Abstract

The meadows in the hill area of Banat can be defined as resources with multidimensional significance. In another context, grasslands can be considered one of the defining elements in livestock activities in rural areas. In this respect, the purpose of the research was to quantify the grassland resources in the area of interest and assess their potential in forage cover of local animals. The analysis of the area of interest was done by geospatial methods, applied with ArcGIS 10.4 software. Geospatial data, statistical and bibliographic data from the literature were used. The area of interest is characterized by complex and variable environmental conditions, which is also reflected in the use of the territory. In the five analyzed administrative units, grasslands occupy surfaces between 16.65% (UAT Balinţ) and 52.14% (UAT Secaş), these being interspersed with other categories of land use, respectively with arable land in the low areas and with forests in the areas located at higher altitudes. As far as animals are concerned, it was found that the largest herds were in ATU Brestovăţ, where per hectare of pasture has 0.72 LSU. Through the economic benefits offered, the meadows in the analyzed hill area constitute important natural resources for local and regional communities.