| Authors: | Cecelia De Ita, Lindsay Stringer, Luuk Fleskens, Andy Dougill, with input from study sites |
| Editor: | Jane Brandt |
| Source document: | De Ita et al. (2015) Report on stakeholder adaptation strategies in the CASCADE study sites. CASCADE Project Deliverable 8.1. |
Among the changes mentioned by the stakeholders in Randi Forest, Cyprus are: invasion of exotic species, soil erosion, droughts, expansion of shrubland and changes in wildlife and vegetation. The main drivers quoted were overgrazing, droughts and forest logging (100% agreement between stakeholders on logging) and wildfires.
Table: Summary of the drivers of change identified by stakeholders in Randi Forest, Cyprus.
| NGO | Government Representative | Land users (Shepherds) | Environmental Managers (forestry department, fire brigade, wildlife services) | |
| Overgrazing | X | X | X | X |
| Plagues, diseases | X | X | X | |
| Wildfires | X | X | X | |
| Droughts | X | X | X | X |
| Erosion | X | X | X | |
| Forest logging | X | X | X | X |
| Outlawing of hunters | X |
Stakeholders reported that changes in Randi Forest started in 1930, when logging for firewood was approved by the authorities. Negative effects of wildfires and land use changes were also recalled, however, these exceeded the time scale requested by the research. Members of the city council recalled: “Old people in the village reported the cutting of the Randi forest in the 1930s: British authorities gave licences to the locals to cut the trees and use them as fire wood”. Furthermore, changes in the original vegetation occurred within the last century, as recalled by an 83 year old shepherd: “They say it used to be a forest. Since I remember, the area was covered by annual vegetation and shrubs”.
When asked about their response to changes, only shepherds and wildlife services mentioned that they were actively doing something. The environmental department mentioned that the area was included in a Natura 2000 project, while the fire brigade did not provide an answer. The environmental department participant explained that as it was private land, the public authorities are not authorized to intervene on it, although along with the wildlife services department, they did patrol the area. Land users and the city council mentioned environmental management measures such as use of rat baits, road cleaning, making land terraces to stop erosion, and planting trees as some of the measures being used.
Table: Summary of future expectations, alternative land management options and policy/economic support required by stakeholder groups in Randi Forest, Cyprus.
| Stakeholder Group | What future regime changes do you expect? | What alternative land management options will you consider? | What policy / economic support is required to facilitate the adaptations and changes you mentioned? |
| Environmental managers (belonging to the state) | • More erosion. • Increase in thorny shrubs that may provide shelter for wild animals. However, they also act as kindle to fuel fires. Vegetation will decrease, thorny shrubs may cause fire, and erosion will increase. |
• Cultivate olive and carob trees • Fence some areas to stop overgrazing • Create terraces to stop erosion • New plantations to stop erosion |
• Subsidies for shepherds for less extensive grazing • Use of plants resistant to drought. • Provide the shepherds or the community council with olive and carob trees. • Provide alternative areas for the shepherds to establish their farms • Control construction • Control overgrazing and snake hunting, as snakes help to control the rats |
| Pissouri city council | • Shepherds will abandon their farms. • Less vegetation may result in more rats coming to the village. • More erosion |
• Cultivate olive and carob trees. • Plant trees to stop erosion |
• Subsidize shepherds to stop intensive grazing • Provide rat baits. |
| Land users | • Soil erosion • Only thorny shrubs resistant to drought will survive. |
• Only grow olive trees and carob trees • Grow plants resistant to drought. • Create terraces to stop erosion |
• Cutting of the thorny shrubs and provision of young trees or economic support. • Support for shepherds to provide dry food to the goats and stop grazing. |
Note: For an overview results of the workshops on identifying adaptation strategies in all study sites and the concluding recommendations see »Adaptation strategies.