On the floristic diversity of sacred forests in north Pindοs
Sacred forests are places with special significance for the conservation of biodiversity. In north Pindus (NW Greece) a network of several sacred natural sites has been located. In order to study the floristic diversity of sacred forests eight of them were selected in Zagori and Konitsa area. Additionally, eight similar but conventional managed forest sites were selected close to the sacred in order to serve as control for comparison. The flora of the sacred and the control was recorded using 32 Braun-Blanquet quadrats in total. For the comparison of the plant communities, species richness, Shannon – Wiener (H) adiversity index and similarity indices Sorensen (Ss) and Jaccard (Sj) were calculated. Floristic diversity and species richness depend on parameters other than age and stand structure. Grazing impact seems important, whereas a diversity pattern related to sacred and managed forests in the study area is missing.
1Laboratory of Forest Botany, Department of Forestry & Management of the Environment & Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, Pantazidou 193, GR-68200, Orestiada, Greece, email: gkorakis@fmenr.duth.gr 2Department of Environmental & Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Seferi 2, GR-30100 Agrinio, Greece ³Forestry Service of Ioannina, Μ. Kotopouli 62, GR-45455, Ioannina 4Dodonis 13, GR-45221, Ioannina 5University of Ioannina, Departement of Biological Applications and Technology, GR- 45110, Ioannina
Keywords:Floristic diversity, sacred forests, conservation biology, Epirus
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Book:Proceedings of the 8th Panhellenic Rangeland Congress, Thessaloniki, 1-3 October 2014 (Edited by: Apostolos Kyriazopoulos, Maria Karatasiou, Paraskevi Sklavou, Dimitrios Chouvardas)
