Pastoral Activities Research Articles

THE ROLE OF FOREST STRUCTURE AS A DETERMINANT OF EPIPHYTIC LICHENS WITHIN MANAGED TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FORESTS (SOUTHERN ROMANIA)

This study shows the impact of tree-and forest-level variables on epiphytic lichens within four managed forest fragments. Additionally, the impact of human activities, such as pastoral activities and timber harvesting, on epiphytic lichens is taken into account. At the tree level, a pertinent ecological pattern with regard to lichen abundance could not be supported by the obtained results because the effect of tree and forest variables (aspect and shrub cover) was significant only on a few lichens. The lichen richness was related to tree (algae cover) and forest structure (semi-open canopies) variables. At the forest level, lichen abundance was influenced by forest structure (canopy variation and shrub cover). Timber harvesting significantly acted on forest structure components, such as shrub cover and tree canopies. Thus, shrub coverage increased and tree canopies became rare depending on the intensity of timber harvesting. Furthermore, timber harvesting, shrub cover, and closed canopies have led to significant differences in lichen composition in the four investigated forests.

Paisagem Cultural de Transumância: A Rota da Serra da Estrela para as Campinas de Idanha

: The transhumance cultural landscape reflects a deep knowledge of the territory. Based on pastoral activity, involves spatial, periodic and seasonal movements of livestock between mountain pastures, valleys and lowlands, to provide food. We highlight an important Portuguese route: Serra da Estrela – Idanha-a-Nova, where wool production was the main activity’s driving force. The acti‑ vity reached its peak in the Middle Ages and survived until the 1950s in Beira Interior region. Aware that change is an inherent dynamic in landscape, we cannot, however, disregard that over generations, the use of endogenous natural resources, shows an understanding of the ecosystem, contributing to the region’s cultural and landscape identity heritage.

Choice of Livelihood Strategies and Its Determinants in Pastoralist Area of Bale Zone: The Case of Sawena District, Oromia, South East Ethiopia

The carrying capacity of pure pastoralist livelihood strategies only to attain food and livelihood security is extremely declining from time to time. Diversifying livelihood strategies at current time become a standard phenomenon within the study area. The general objectives of this study are, therefore, to characterize the existing livelihood strategies adopted by pastoral households and its determinants in the Sawena district, Oromia National Regional State, Southeast Ethiopia. To examine this general objective, the study employed descriptive statistics and bivariate probit model. Both primary and secondary data sources were used for the study. For the purpose of this study primary data collected from 350 sample households through face-to-face interviews. In addition, focus group discussions and personal observation are used. Relevant secondary data were also obtained from concerned zonal and district government offices. Descriptive statistics was applied to characterize livelihood strategies of the sample households. The finding of the survey result indicates that about 66.57% of households engaged on pure pastoralist activities, whereas about 33.43% were relying only on agro pastoralist activities to achieve their livelihood goal(s). This result indicates that most of the pastoral household heads are engaged in pure pastoralist activities rather than diversifying toward agro pastoral and related non-pastoral livelihood activities. Bivariate probit model applied to investigate factors influencing the households’ choice of livelihood strategies. The Econometric model result indicated that age, family size, dependency ratio, tropical livestock unit of holding, access to mass media, distance from the nearest market, access to rural electrification, access to irrigation, total farmland size and access to rangeland were determining pastorals’ choice of livelihood strategies. The results of this study suggest that development interventions, policies and capacity-building activities should be designed to suit the felt needs and circumstances of different groups of pastorals households.

La pedagogía de la Compañía de Jesús ante los retos del mundo actual

La Compañía de Jesús atesora una tradición centenaria en el ámbito de la educación. Desde su conformación en 1540, los jesuitas encontraron en la fundación y gestión de centros educativos una labor que, si bien no estaba contemplada entre sus ministerios iniciales, se convirtió en una de las señas de identidad del naciente instituto. Crearon un modelo educativo que implantaron en todos los colegios, basado en el método del “modus parisienses” y en el estudio de las humanidades, teniendo en cuenta que las mismas englobaban los estudios científicos. La gratuidad y la adaptación a las características y circunstancias de “lugares y personas” formaron parte del proyecto inicial.

Christ-Loving Warriors: Ecclesiastical Dimension of the Russian Military Campaign in Syria

ABSTRACT This article explores the ecclesiastical dimension of the Russian operation in Syria. It analyzes pastoral activities within the expeditionary force, and argues that the Orthodox Church provided the military with three deliverables. First, the clergy assisted the commanders in providing a sense of mission to the servicemen and injecting higher levels of motivation among them. Second, the military saw the clergy as enhancing unit cohesion and decreasing post-combat stress effects. Finally, the ROC assisted the Kremlin in legitimizing the intervention domestically. The article concludes with prospective trends of the nexus of religion and policy in the Middle East and beyond.

The Making of a Holy Nation: Pastoral Activity, Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and Nationalism in Interwar Romanian Orthodoxy

Abstract After the end of World War I and the creation of Greater Romania, various actors tried to influence the official policy of the state by proposing political visions suitable to consolidate the Romanian identity and character of the country. The Orthodox Church, one of the most vocal of these actors, envisioned a variety of activities and programs with the goal of promoting the future development of the country alongside religious principles. In particular, in 1925 the Metropolitan of Ardeal organized the first “mass” pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the history of the Romanian people. Among the participants was Iosif Trifa, a close collaborator of the Metropolitan and the initiator and organizer of a widespread spiritual movement called the Army of the Lord. During the pilgrimage Trifa wrote notes that later constituted the basis of his travelogue Pe urmele Mântuitorului [In the Footsteps of the Savior], a book that, I will suggest, proposes a national – spiritual model for the building of the new political project inspired by the mythical image of the holy places. Trifa vested these pastoral concerns with political preoccupations that ultimately claimed the Holy Land as an ideal pattern for Greater Romania. Through a gradual literary process that morphed Palestine into the Christian Holy Land and reclaimed it for Orthodox Christians only, Trifa established a close connection between the holy sites and Romania by presenting the group of pilgrims and their itinerary as a symbol of the nation walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. A close reading of the narrative will show that Trifa aimed at using it as an exhortation to prompt Romanians’ commitment to Orthodoxy as the only successful solution to the national project.

Виселені, але з почуттям своєї гідності. Приклад української спільноти з Валча

The Ukrainians were displaced in 1947. The number of 2734 people were displaced to the the vicinity of Wałcz. The Greek Catholic church was considered illegal in Poland. The Greek Catholic parish in Wałcz, which was established only in 1959, played an important role in shaping religious and national consciousness among Ukrainians on the Land of Wałcz. In 1959 Teodor Markiw, priest begins his pastoral work. The Greek Catholic parish was a pillar in the fi ght against national and religious assimilation for the displaced Ukrainian population from the “Vistula” campaign. The Ukrainian community was going through various stages of its existence, among others: a period without specifi c forms of religious worship – the believers without a parish, pastoral activity and integration of a dispersed community. The Greek Catholic parish helps break down various stereotypes. The Ukrainian community in Wałcz keeps in close contact with Ukraine. The article shows the presents activity of the parish on two levels: religious and national.

Review: The evolving understanding of the Great Artesian Basin (Australia), from discovery to current hydrogeological interpretations

The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) in Australia underlies semi-arid and arid regions across 1.7 million km2 or one-fifth of Australia. The basin’s groundwater resources were discovered around 1880 and their development allowed pastoral activities, homestead and town water supplies, and petroleum and mining ventures to exist. The GAB is a multi-layered confined aquifer system, with aquifers in Jurassic and Cretaceous continental sandstones and intervening confining beds of siltstone and mudstone of the constituent Eromanga, Surat and Carpentaria sedimentary basins. The basin is up to 3,000 m thick and forms a large synclinal structure, uplifted and exposed along its eastern margin and tilted southwest. Recharge to the exposed aquifers occurs in the eastern margin, an area of relative high rainfall. The western margin in Australia’s arid centre receives minor recharge. Regional groundwater flow is towards the southern, south-western, western and northern margins. Flowing artesian springs discharge in the southwest margin and have produced carbonate mounds. Although lateral groundwater movement dominates, vertical upwards leakage is considered important. Potentiometric surfaces of the Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous aquifers are still above ground level throughout most of the basin, though pressure drawdowns of up to 100 m have been recorded in recent decades in highly developed areas, and consequently some artesian water boreholes and springs have ceased flowing. Government borehole rehabilitation programs have led to groundwater pressure recovery in some areas. This paper outlines the history of GAB exploration, scientific investigations (hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, isotope hydrology, groundwater modelling) and management, summarising the recent knowledge on the GAB.

Steady transformation of primeval forest into subalpine pasture during the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age (2300−1700 BC) in the Silvretta Alps, Switzerland

The question of the origin of Alpine farming and pastoral activities associated with seasonal vertical transhumance and dairy production in the Silvretta Alps (Eastern Switzerland) has recently benefitted from renewed interest. There, pastoral practises began during the Late Neolithic (2300 BC), but alpine dairy farming was directly evidenced so far only since the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (1300–500 BC). The vegetation development, timberline shifts at 2280 m a.s.l. and environmental conditions of the subalpine Urschai Valley (Canton of Grisons, Switzerland) were reconstructed for the small (8 m2) Plan da Mattun fen based on palynological and geochemical analyses for the last six millennia. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses are among the first ones performed on a European peatland in such altitudes. A high Rb/Sr ratio in the fen peat sediments revealed an increase in catchment erosion during the time when the forests of the Upper Urschai Valley were steadily diminished probably by fire and livestock impact (2300–1700 BC). These landscape openings were paralleled by increasing micro-charcoal influx values, suggesting that prehistoric people actively set fire on purpose. Simultaneously, palynological evidence for pastoralism was revealed, such as pollen from typical herbs indicating livestock trampling, and abundant spores from coprophilous fungi. Since then, vertical transhumance and pastoral activities remained responsible for the open subalpine landscape above 2000 m a.s.l., most probably also in the context of milk and dairy production since 1300 BC, which is characteristic for the European Alps until today.

The geopolitics of the Catholic Church in Latin America

ABSTRACT This study analyses the geopolitical dimension of the Catholic Church’s activity in Latin America. This involves ideas related to political control, administration and power over territory. It is also related to the pastoral activity of the Church. As shown, the geopolitics of the Church is related to its internal organization as well as in its relations with states and society. The creation and adaptation of geopolitical visions are made through internal processes in connection with political and cultural forces around the Church. This is identified as the religeopolitical scope of the Catholic Church, analysed in this study from a long-term perspective. During colonial times, the geopolitical vision was linked to consolidating global imperial structures. After the shock of the independence period, there was a reconnection to the new states and a reconstruction of geopolitical visions that in time was transformed into a Latin American ‘continental’ vision. Along this line, the study explores the contemporary confluence between the Catholic Church and geopolitics through ideas and conceptual frameworks such as the Patria Grande. Issues such as regional integration, popular theology and Catholic social commitment are presented as core elements of the Church’s geopolitics in Latin America.

Priest of the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral of the city of Bolgrad M.V. Kazanakli: his life and pastoral activity

In this article the life of the Priest of the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral of the city of Bolgrad is analyzed. The comprehensive analysis of his pastoral activity is done according to the archived documents and published sources. Special attention is paid to the main forms of his social service – teaching and charity. The desire of any people to know their history better is quite understandable and justified. At the same time, not only any significant events in history, but also individuals who were at the origins of these events, without which the latter could not have happened, are of the greatest interest. The Bulgarian revivalist intelligentsia included hundreds of teachers, healers, pharmacists, writers, publishers, scribes, merchants, soldiers, priests, monks, arch pastors, as well as representatives of many other classes and specialties. Frequently, the budgets combined in themselves not one, but several social roles, which is very characteristic of the Renaissance period. It is to such quiet and quiet, humble and hardworking historical figures that the personality of the priest of the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral of the city of Bоlgrad, Mikhail Vasilievich Kazanakli, who was engaged in quiet and necessary work, belongs to the personality.The life of M.V. Kazanakli is complicated in the description, it is only partly reflected in external situations and events, but is concentrated on the path to God. External events of the life of the priest –socially visible clothes. But the spiritual element in which he constantly dwelt, is poorly amenable to purposeful analysis and verbal interpretation. Biography from. Michael needs to be read and thoroughly analyzed by a specialist theologian who has personal experience in spiritual building, asceticism.

Assessing the Challenges Facing the Laity in their Participation in Evangelisation in Njoro Parish of Nakuru County Kenya

This study assessed the challenges facing the laity in their participation in evangelisation in Njoro Parish of Nakuru County Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The target population included the Catholic faithful and the priests. The 181 participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data was collected using group discussions, questionnaires and interviews. Different questionnaires were administered for priests (PQ), catechists (CQ) and the laity (LQ). Reliability of the tools was tested using split-half method. A reliability coefficient of 0.5 and above was accepted. Descriptive statistics was used. SPSS programme was used to analyse data and was presented using frequency tables, percentages and charts. The study found out that evangelisation by the laity needs strengthening and that collaborative ministry is necessary for Njoro parish to realise its goal of evangelisation. The results also showed that some of the Christians are passive mainly due to lack of training and reluctance of the laity and the clergy to involve them in evangelisation process. The study observed that the laity needs training in pastoral field so that they could be actively engaged in pastoral activities of the parish. The clergy also needs to sensitise the laity on their role in evangelisation so that they can be effective. The study concludes that challenges of evangelisation calls for a new vision of understanding in order to concretely impact the faith.

Fires and human activities as key factors in the high diversity of Corsican vegetation

In the Mediterranean region, Corsica represents one of the most important hotspots of biodiversity, partly due to the high number of endemics species. This region is also one of the most affected by forest fires worldwide. The present vegetation is adapted to a wide range of disturbance regimes, but a change in fire frequency or intensity in the future may severely affect ecological resources and other socio-economical aspects. Here, we study the dynamics of vegetation–human–fire interactions for the past 12,000 years as recorded by Lake Bastani (Corsica, France). We used well-dated sedimentary records of charcoal, pollen and fungal spores to infer past fire regime, land cover and pastoral activities, respectively, and we compared our results with charcoal records from two other Corsican lakes (Nino and Creno, respectively). Our results suggest that climate and natural fires were the main factors shaping the landscape before 5000 cal. BP. Then, the extraordinary diversity of the current Corsican vegetation has been mainly promoted by human activities on the island (i.e. deforestation and pastoralism) at least from the Bronze Age (3500 cal. BP). The top of our record shows a sharp decrease in fungal remains ( Sporormiella-type), usually associated with pastoral activities, which could be attributed to the land abandonment occurring since a few decades.

Der Deutsche Orden und seine pastorale Tätigkeit in der Ballei Österreich bis zur Krise im 16. Jahrhundert

The Teutonic Order and Its Pastoral Work in the Bailiwick of Austria up to the Crisis in the 16th Century The Teutonic Order began to acquire land tenure in the Eastern Alps soon after its formation. After the Order’s structure had been established the Order also acquired rights of patronage over individual parishes in the 13th century. Up to the end of the Middle Ages the Order exercised the rights of patronage over seven parishes in the Bailiwick of Austria. Initially, however, pastoral work was not the Order’s main pursuit within the bailiwick; parishes served predominantly as the Order’s additional source of income. In the case of Velika Nedelja (Grossonntag) and Bela Krajina (White Carniola) the Teutonic Order had also a political function. The Order was tasked with the political, economic, and ecclesiastical integration of an area that did not become an integral part of the Holy Roman Empire before the 12th and early 13th century. From the 14th century onwards the Order intensified its pastoral activities, which coincides with the increase in the number of priests among its members.

Bishop Ignacy Tokarczyk in the Operational Activities of the PRL’s Security Service

From the beginning of his service in the Przemyśl Diocese, bishop Ignacy Tokarczuk performed his pastoral activities with great vigor and dedication and was, therefore, the most important “object” of the operational work of the PRL’s Security Service (a Polish acronym: SB) in the south-east of Poland. The Security Service undertook number of operational activities against him. He was surrounded by an organized network of secret the security’s collaborators that informed about the bishop’s plans and deeds and realized some operational tasks. By means of disintegration and disinformation activities, the security tried to damage his reputation in the society and in the church circles as well as limit his pastoral activity. Despite great efforts, huge expenses and involvement of many people in this process, the security managed neither to intimidate nor to destroy the bishop.

Pastoralist activities affect the movement patterns of a large African carnivore, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)

Abstract Populations of large carnivores are declining in many parts of the world due to anthropogenic activity. Some species of large carnivores, however, are able to coexist with people by altering their behavior. Altered behaviors may be challenging to identify in large carnivores because these animals are typically cryptic, nocturnal, live at low densities, and because changes in their behavior may be subtle or emerge slowly over many years. We studied the effects of livestock presence on the movements of one large carnivore, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). We fit 22 adult female spotted hyenas with GPS collars to quantify their movements in areas with and without livestock or herders present, in and around a protected area in southwestern Kenya. We investigated anthropogenic, social, and ecological effects on the speed of movement, distances traveled, long-distance movements, and extraterritorial excursions by spotted hyenas. Hyenas living primarily within the protected area, but in the presence of livestock and herders, moved faster, traveled over longer distances, and were more likely to be within their territories than did conspecifics living in areas without livestock and herders. Hyenas of low social rank were more likely than hyenas of high social rank to engage in long-distance travel events, and these were more likely to occur when prey were scarce. The movement patterns of this large African carnivore indicate a flexibility that may allow them to persist in landscapes that are becoming increasingly defined by people.

Investigating the status of Cinnamomum chago (Lauraceae), a plant species with an extremely small population endemic to Yunnan, China

AbstractCinnamomum chago is a woody species of the family Lauraceae endemic to Yunnan province, China, previously known from only one location, and categorized as a Plant Species with Extremely Small Population. We surveyed to determine the distribution and population size of C. chago, characterize its habitat, identify any threats, assess its conservation status, and provide guidelines for its management and conservation. During 2014–2017 we found only 64 mature C. chago, in five locations. These small, fragmented populations occur along Lancang River in Dali Prefecture at altitudes of 2,200–2,400 m. The species' extent of occurrence is c. 923 km2, with an area of occupancy of c. 60 km2. The habitat of the species has been degraded by expansion of pastoral activities and deforestation. We recommend categorization of C. chago as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, prevention of the collection of seeds and wood of the species, protection and monitoring, and ex situ propagation for future reintroductions.

Using coprophilous fungi to reconstruct the history of pastoralism in the Qinghai Lake Basin, Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The history of permanent human settlement in the high-altitude regions (>3000 m above sea level [masl]) of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is important in understanding human adaptation to this cold “Third Pole” region. The Qinghai Lake Basin was an important corridor used by prehistoric humans migrating to the inner QTP. Pastoralism is currently the most important means of sustaining permanent human settlement in the high-altitude regions of the QTP. However, the lack of reliable proxy measures reflecting prehistoric pastoral activities impedes our understanding of how pastoralism developed. The identification of coprophilous fungi in prehistoric cultural deposits may help refine the history of pastoralism. We collected 21 modern domesticated herbivore dung samples and 66 surface soil samples from the Qinghai Lake Basin for fungal spore analyses. We then evaluated how useful such analyses are for identifying grazing activities. Fifty-three samples were also collected from the JXG2 stratigraphic profile (∼10.0–0 ka; 3312 masl) for fungal spore analysis. Results indicate that low and stable values of the total concentration of coprophilous fungi were present from ∼10.0 to ∼5.5 ka. Concentrations gradually increased from ∼5.5 to ∼4.2 ka, significantly increased from ∼4.2 to ∼2.6 ka, and then increased dramatically after ∼2.6 ka. By combining these results with charcoal concentrations (>50 µm), lithic artifacts, bones and potsherds recovered from the JXG2 site, we infer that early pastoralism in Qinghai Lake Basin appeared between ∼6.0 to ∼5.5 ka and gradually intensified throughout the remainder of the Holocene as herding and farming gradually replaced hunting–gathering as the primary subsistence strategies. These results are supported by pollen records, archeological remains and historical records in the northeastern QTP.

Socio-political and ecological stresses on traditional pastoral systems: A review

Pastoralism is a viable socio-economic system-shaped by landless and agro-pastoral communities in many pastoral regions of the world. This system is mainly based on seasonal migration of pastoralists and their livestock herds between upland and lowland pastures. Traditionally pastoral activities make significant contributions to mountain livelihood subsistence, regional economies and environmental sustainability. However, the pastoralist’s lifestyle and their economies are increasingly confronted to various socio-political, economic and ecological stresses from the last few decades. Extensive literature reviewed on this subject with the aim to explore the current emerging challenges faced by pastoral communities in different pastoral regions. It has been revealed from literature that the prevalent socio-political and economic stress on pastoralism caused by modernization, insecure land tenure, integration of market economy, civil insecurities and pastoralist’s exclusion in states policies while ecological stress on pastoral activities emerged with increasing focus on nature conservation in pastoral regions and climate change induced hazards and disasters. As a consequence of these challenges, pastoral households are abandoning livestock herding-as a traditional way of life and are in continuous transition to transform their pastoral practices and institutions. Thus, the attention and consultation of key stakeholders are needed toward pastoral resource development that improve and sustain traditional pastoral practices in a socio-politically and ecologically stressed environment of the world.

Rola duszpasterstwa więziennego w resocjalizacji penitencjarnej, w kontekście badań własnych i dyskursu naukowego

Although the legislator in the applicable legal regulations did not call the pastoral activity “penitentiary activity” and did not include this activity in the catalogue of means of penitentiary influence, practical experience shows that the tasks of the prison chaplain and other people involved in the work of penitentiary priesthood are analogous to penitentiary work, having a specific social rehabilitation dimension. They are also an important element of postpenitentiary interactions aimed at social reintegration of prisoners. Significant words fell from the then director of the Central Board of Criminal Offices, Paweł Moczydłowski, during the ceremony of dedicating the prison chapel in Chełm in June 1990: “Here the Church today is permanently entering the prison system. We cannot imagine a new prison without the presence of the Church and its moral teachings. Repression is to replace – justice, hatred – humanism and a good word, including evangelical” (Harasiuk 1990: 5).