Ovine as animal model to monitoring environmental modifications in order to perform the conservative management of the natural grasslands respecting the animal welfare

The use of ovine in the study of climatic and seasonal environmental modifications, affecting the productivity of natural/semi-natural grasslands used for zootechnic purposes, is presented. Integrate monitoring of summer rainfall, grassland productivity and anatomical modifications, regarding rumen epithelium keratinization degree and Surface Enlargement Factor during pasture vegetative cycles, has been approached. Body Condition Score (BCS) was validate as representative parameter of morpho-functional changes strictly correlated with ecologicalproductive modifications of grassland systems. In addition, the threshold values for summer rainfall able to guaranty a sufficient pasture productivity, keratinization degree able to permit a suitable rumen absorption and BCS able to demonstrate a good animal welfare, were defined. Rumen ventral sac keratinization and BCS were monitored also into two applied researches: the early, to evaluate the ovine effectiveness in the wood fire prevention setting the length of animal stay on Brachipodium rupestre high covered pasture, without negatively affects their wellbeing; the late, to achieve an environmental and economic sustainable management of grassland productive ecosystems to face the increasing drought stress, linked to climate changes, affecting herbage features, carrying capacity and animal welfare, also representing a threat to biodiversity conservation and livestock rearing. The farm income is a key tool for the biodiversity conservation of grassland ecosystems, and the research must give the guidelines useful to reconcile environmental and economic sustainability. The bottom up strategy involving the stakeholders is a fundamental tool for both the biodiversity conservation and the integration of farm income purposes. It also represents the driver for the territory development. As 3Rs regards, research respected the REPLACE concept by the validation of BCS as representative of anatomic changes assessable on dead body or biopsy, the REDUCE one because only animals intended for human consumption were used, and as the REFINE regards, the experimental conditions corresponded to the naturalones.