Temporal landscape changes (1963-1998) at the region of “Kopatsari” in the Prefecture of Grevena
The villages of “Kopatsari” in the Prefecture of Grevena compose a distinctive traditional mountainous Greek landscape, which tends to degrade due to socioeconomic changes of the last decades. The aim of this paper was to study the temporal changes in that landscape through the geographic survey with the use of Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.) in combination with socioeconomic factors. The region of six villages of “Kopatsari” was chosen as the study area, which extends at the east side of Pindos Mountain in the Prefecture of Grevena. The landscape of the study area has been evolving under the long and lasting influences of the residents’ activities, forming a varied mosaic with special natural and cultural characteristics. The landscape structure and the land cover/use changes during the 1963-1998 period were mapped through the ArcGIS program. The spatial data that resulted combined with demographic and socioeconomic changes that took place in the region show that the abandonment along with the modernization of traditional practices in agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry, and the turn of the residents’ interest to other activities led to an increase of the vegetation density. However the landscape diversity is conserved to a significant extent. The grassland area was decreased by 49.42% between 1963 and 1998 along with the reduction by 41.51% of the cover of sparser forest lands, while denser forest lands recorded an outstanding increase by 531.61%, confirming the landscape tendency to become denser. The comparative estimation of eight landscape indices (number and mean patch size, edge density, mean shape index, mean patch fractal dimension, interspersion juxtaposition index and Shannon’s diversity and evenness indexes) at the landscape level in 1998 showed that the study area’s landscape still conserved its diversity compared to 1963.
Use of herbaceous vegetation for soil bioremediation of heavy metals
Over the last decades the use of herbaceous vegetation for soil remediation of heavy metals, called phytoremediation, has gained considerable importance because this technique is permanent and environmental friendly, has low cost and does not aesthetically disrupt the landscape. Plant species able to hyperaccumulate and tolerate heavy metals that have high growth rate and biomass production and possess an extensive root system are considered as suitable phytoremediators. Aim of this paper was to present the most significant phytoremediation techniques using herbaceous vegetation.
Monastic Landscape and land uses in Papikion Mountain
The monastic landscapes are result of interaction between monk and nature. They constitute part of the cultural ecological and economic heritage of each christian population. The development in these landscapes, due to demographic, social and economic changes, is rapid and many times irreversible. Because it is difficult to replace their loss, they should not disappear before their census, their mapping and their evaluation. Aim of present work is to recognize, to search and evaluate the passage from the deserted in the monastic landscape of Papikio Mountain, part of South-eastern Rhodope. Information and statistical data of the region were collected and analyzed. The region constitutes an important palimpsest landscape, which is characterized by diversity, complexity and density natural and cultural elements in relatively small extent. The historical sources and the archaeological excavation’s data testify a Byzantine monastic center of 11th century. The monastic landscape is an important source of knowledge of traditional environmental know-how and it should be studied and evaluated so that the natural resources and the cultural landscape of region are developed.
The priority habitat type «Sphagnum acid bogs (7130)» in the National Park of Rodopi Mountain range
The mountain range of Rodopi sustains a rich variety of flora and vegetation. In Rodopi, several central European floristic elements and some habitat types meet their southernmost distribution limits, as the habitat type of priority “Sphagnum acid bogs (7130), Blanket bogs)” that occurs in the National Park of Rodopi Mountain range. In the present paper data concerning the geographic position, the ecology, the structure, the floristic composition and the area that the aforementioned habitat type occupies are provided. Additionally, some protection measures and management recommendations are discussed. The habitat type occurs on four moist locations covering a total area of 38,591 m2 lying adjacent to spruce or Scotch pine forests, at altitudes ranging between 1350 and 1530 m a.s.l. The vegetation is dense (95-100% cover), of low height (25-80 cm) and is dominated by species of the family Cyperaceae, Sphagnum spp. Juncus spp., as well as other hygrophilous species. The depth in the appearing sites ranges from 1.20 to 2.20 m. The main recommended protection measure is the information of the administrative authorities and of the people living or working in the broader area about the importance of the habitat type. In addition, for every partial appearance of the habitat type specific conservation and administration measures are proposed.
The phryganic ecosystems of Rhodes and their protection: A socioeconomic approach
The phryganic, along with those of evergreen broadleaved and the coniferous forests, are the three main Mediterranean ecosystems. Their importance is exceptionally great as exceptionally great are also the levels of human activity and disturbance in the areas where they grow. In Greece, for the reason that the phryganic ecosystems grow mostly in coastal and insular areas where there is a lack of land, this pressure has led to a great demand for the areas they occupy, for construction, industrial and other uses, a fact that creates the respective political-economic conditions which shape the negative regime of their protection. Therefore, by the voting of the appropriate legal frame it was tried their gradual “release”, their cession or entering into the land bank and their use for other non-forestry purposes, ignoring their importance and depleting the local societies and in general the humanity from the goods, the services and their functions. However, this fact makes skeptical the specialists, the nongovernmental environment-friendly organizations and the citizens. It was found that in Rhodes the phryganic ecosystems show a great biodiversity at all levels, they also provide besides the goods, numerous other unique and vital functions and services for the support of life on the planet whereas the ruling legal frame is almost non-existent today and does not protect them sufficiently.
