PhD student of MARETEC receives Pasture Progress Award 2024

Inês Ribeiro, a PhD student at MARETEC/LARSyS, received the “Prémio para o Progresso dos Pastos” (Pasture Progress Award)/Best Oral Communication 2024 at the 43rd Spring Meeting of the Portuguese Pasture and Forage Society (SPPF).

The communication, entitled “Evaluation of grazing interventions as a tool for managing vegetation structure”, addressed the importance of extensive grazing in preventing forest fires in the Beira Interior region (Portugal) through the regulation of combustible biomass.

The results highlight the ability of cattle, through moderate intensity grazing, to change the vertical structure of vegetation, helping to reduce the risk of fire, namely by creating a discontinuity between the understorey and the treetops.

The meeting was held on 18 and 19 April 2024 in Fundão, Portugal. It was attended by researchers and specialists in the field of agro-forestry production on the theme of “Multifunctionality of pastures in mountain areas”, which is very relevant to the sustainability and future of agriculture in the context of adapting to climate change.

The work was co-authored by Davy McCracken, Tiago Domingos and Vânia Proença (the latter two are members of IST-Ambiente) and is part of the SILVANUS project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme (contract GA 101037247).