Assessment of the priority habitat type *9562 Grecian juniper woods in Prespa National Park and suggestions for its restoration and conservation
The priority habitat type *9562 Grecian juniper woods (Juniperetum excelsae) (GJWs) of the National Prespa Park includes four vegetation types of different degree of conservation and perspectives. GJWs are facing pressures and threats originated from management shifts, like reduction of grazing activity and abandonment of traditional livestock husbandry and forestry practices (logging for firewood production, branch selection for animal feeding purposes, etc.). Pure stands are assessed as being in very good degree of conservation and prospects. Mixed young and mixed dense stands are in good degree of conservation, but their prospects are not favourable due to the succession to oak forest and to grasslands with sparsely distributed individuals of juniper with low regeneration potential. The study suggests several measures aiming at the holding of succession in order to restore and conserve GJWs. Measures include clearings of broadleaved tree species and gradual re-introduction of controlled grazing. Transplanting for increasing regeneration potential and clearing of dead organic material and garbage, so lowering wildfire possibilities, are also suggested.
Grazing indicators in modern pollen assemblages from Cholomontas Mountain (Chalkidiki, N. Greece)
Mount Cholomon (Chalkidiki, N. Greece) is currently under variable grazing pressure. Ten modern pollen assemblages were collected from sites under different grazing pressure, from both forested and unforested areas. The pollen chart was subjected to cluster analysis, resulting into four different groups. The first includes all the forested areas, the second the open and variously grazed areas while the two remaining sites, a non-grazed meadow and a degraded heath land, were separated from the rest of the groups and from each other. The pollen assemblage of the open grazed areas is characterized by the high pollen percentage values of Poaceae and Cichoriaceae. One out of four sites in this group is under heavy grazing pressure and was presented with high pollen percentage of the taxon Plantago lanceolata type, whereas the overgrazed heath land was presented with high pollen values of Polygonum aviculare, both indicators of the extent of disturbance in the area . The latter site, although located in the subzone Coccifero–Carpinetum, is almost lacking pollen of Quercus coccifera.
Settlement nomenclature in Corfu Island and Regional Unity of Kozani in relation to diachronical landscape evolution
The interpretation of the names of the settlements in an area can lead to important information about the landscape and its functionality as well as the historic – geographical reflection in it. After the exchange of Greek – Turkish population in 1923, settlements with a foreign origin name were renamed and hellenized, particularly in the mainland of Greece. In the Ionian Islands, which were mainly under the Venetian Dominance, only a small number of the settlements were renamed. The aim of this paper is to analyse the names of the settlements in two different areas, in Corfu Island and in Regional Unity of Kozani and to investigate the relation of the settlement naming with the landscape evolution and the functionality of the area, in the frame of a historical perspective. The main data source was various selections of historical and archival documentation. As a conclusion, the influence of foreign populations is not impressed upon the settlement nomenclature in Corfu Island, due to the feudal system that was imposed by the Venetians and also to the fact that the rural areas were not a pathway (animal or commercial) as it was in Regional Unity of Kozani. The concept of landscape evolution appears better in Regional Unity of Kozani, where the hellenization of the names took place.
Aesthetic evaluation of agroforestry and agricultural systems
Silvoarable systems are one of the three types of agroforestry. They are multipurpose systems that combine trees and crops on the same surface. They are a form of multiculture which imitates natural ecosystems. These systems make full use of available natural resources and provide a variety of products and services. However the focus has always been on these characteristics while the particular aesthetic value of the landscapes that are created is neglected or ignored. These landscapes occur as the result of a synthetic agricultural and ecological history and constitute elements of cultural heritage. The purpose of the study was to evaluate silvoarable and agricultural systems and enhance the aesthetic value of the trees in the fields. The study was conducted in lakes Vegoritida and Petron in Florina Prefecture. Two silvoarable and two agricultural systems were selected and their landscape features were evaluated based on physical, psychological and aesthetic criteria. In addition their vulnerability and degradation risks were studied. From the comparison between the four systems it was concluded that the functional silvoarable outweigh aesthetically the agricultural ones. The presence of trees contributes to the harmony of the landscape, its importance and the variety of its parts.
The structure of ecosystem and the forage production in the Kostilata subalpine grassland of Theodoriana
The study conducted in Kostilata alpine grassland of Theodoriana, located on the Tzoumerka Mountains, 80 km northeast of Arta town. Sixty sampling sites were randomly selected in order to analyze ecosystem structure and to determine soil characteristics and forage production. The flora analysis was based on the method of points and plant species determination – identification was carried out using Mountain Flora of Greece I and II and the Flora Europaea. Main soil characteristics were determined from 60 topsoil (0-30 cm) soil samples and forage production measurement was done according to method of harvest. The results of soil analysis ((49.5% sand, 36,0% silt and 14,5% clay) showed that soils are characterized as sandy loam with acid pH reaction (5,6) and rich in organic matter (6,76%). Forage production was relatively low (1384 kg/ha) dominated by grasses (65,3%), followed by forbs (25,0%) and legumes (9,7%). Since Kostilata subalpine grassland area is distinguished by its diverse landscape, the application of rational grazing is required in order to sustain the grassland ecosystem.
