The study area is a vast pasture, approximately 4400 ha, dominated by oaks. Herders from the nearby villages herd their sheep and goats in the pasture, to their help they have large and, sometimes, scary dogs. I was performing my research in a 110 ha plot of this area.

Because the bedrock consisted of limestone, the area was eroded and hard to walk through. There were quite steep slopes, and valleys and ridges all over the place. Over a gradient of 1000 m the study plot lost over 200 m in height. The area offered a fascinating scenery which can be seen in the picture.