Nature protection and biodiversity - National Responses (Greece)

SOER 2010 Common environmental theme (Deprecated)

This is an old version, kept for reference only.

Go to latest version

This page was archived on 21 Mar 2015 with reason: A new version has been published

SOER Common environmental theme from Greece

Topic: Nature and biodiversity

Published: 26 Nov 2010 Modified: 17 Feb 2025

Greek legislation (Table 14) provides for the protection of flora and fauna. Protected areas (Table 8) represent an instrument for species conservation. Greece continues to extend the protected areas network (Figure 6), holding a large variety of Mediterranean habitats included in the reference list of the Natura 2000 initiative. The Natura 2000 network covers 21 % of the Greek land surface and 5.5 % of the territorial waters. Other measures for species protection include regulation on the hunting period, a binding fishing code, access restrictions, limited user rights, and compensations for income loss.

However, a crucial step towards a targeted and planned protection of the natural environment and biodiversity is the National Biodiversity Strategy. This is currently being re-evaluated and includes the objectives of ‘Contribution to the response to climate change, adaptation to it and reduction of the impacts on biodiversity through adaptation actions.’

Greece has no stand-alone sustainable agriculture strategy. The integration of nature conservation objectives follows rules and instruments set under the EU Common Agricultural Policy.

Greek fisheries policy is based on sustainable management objectives and is heavily influenced by the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

*Table 1. State of Flora in Greece* (Hatzilakou, 2009)
Τaxa	Endemic	Uncertain endemic	Not Endemic
Not threatened and not protected	558	43
Protected	122	3	168
Threatened	181	6	120
Threatened and protected	425	8	205

*Table* 2. *State* of *Fauna* in *Greece* (Hatzilakou, 2009)
	Number of species	Endemic	Threatened
Mammals	111	2	19
Birds	442	-	10*
Reptiles	62	6	8
Amphibians	21	2	5
Fish (freshwater)	108	35	41
Fish (seawater)	447	-	12
* According to BirdLife International (2008^α)-Global FactSheets and the Hellenic Ornithological Society (unpublished data)

*Table 3.* *Threatened species in Greece* (The Red Data book of Threatened Vertebrates and Invertebrates, in press) *Threatened species*	No of species	No of threatened species	Percentage of species assessed
Vertebrate species	422	171	15%
Invertebrate species	591	297	50%

*Most threatened animal groups*
Freshwater fish			37%
Reptiles			27%

*Table 4.* *Red List of the threatened birds in Greece* (Handrinos et al., 2009)
*IUCN Red List category of threat*	*Number of species assessed* *in 1992*	*Number of species assessed* *in 2009*
Extinct (EX)	6	1
Critically Endangered (CR)	13	14
Endangered (EN)	12	17
Vulnerable (VU)	23	31
Near Threatened (NT)	20	16
Least Concern (LC)	-	26
Data Deficient (DD)	26	17
TOTAL	100	122

*Table 5. Population composition of cattle and sheep breeds in Greece, 2008*
Native breed population	Foreign breed Population*	Total population	Number of native breeds	Number of foreign breeds	Endangered breeds	Extinct breeds
CATTLE
4,057	629,599	633,656	2	9	2	3
SHEEP
8,363,484	700,000	9,063,484	18	3	11	7
* Crossbred animals are included in the foreign breed population.

*Table 6. Alien species in Greece*
	Total	Invertebrates	Primary producers	Vertebrates
terrestrial	538	38%	59%	3%
Inland freshwater	87	48%	40%	12%
Marine and backish water	193	53%	25%	22%

*Table 7. Conservation status of habitats and species of Community interest ^a* (YPEHODE, 2008)
Conservation status	Habitats	Flora species	Fauna species	Total	Share (%)
Conservation status	(number)				Share (%)
Favourable	49	5	25	79	24.4
Inadequate	26	19	26	71	22.0
Bad	7	2	13	22	6.8
Unknown	3	32	117	152	47.0
Total	85	58	181	324	100.0
a) EU Habitat Directive

*Table 8. Protected areas, 2007* (YPEHODE, 2008)
	Year^a	Competent Authority	Sites	Surface area
		Competent Authority	Sites	(km ²)	(%)^b
National forest parks (inland)	1938	YAAT	10	689^c	0.6
Aesthetic forests	1973	YAAT	19	325	0.2
Protected forests	2006	Regional Authorities	1	417.42	0.4
Natural monuments	1975	YAAT	51^d	167	0.1
Landscapes of natural beauty	1950	YPEHODE & YP	507	..	..
Controlled hunting areas	1975	YAAT	7	1 028.12	0.8
Game reserves^e	1979	YAAT	-	-	-
Game breeding stations	1976	YAAT	21	36.03	..
Zones of urban control^f	1989	YPEHODE	12	63.82	..
Nature reserves^g	2006	YPEHODE	1	1.63	-
National marine parks^g	1992	YPEHODE	2	2 259.46^h	0.1
National parks^g	2004	YPEHODE		7 542.80	5.6
Eco-development areas^g	2003	YPEHODE	1	418.29	0.3
Wildlife refuges	1998	Regional Authorities	606	1 0280.57	7.79
a) Year of establishment of the first area in the category. b) % of total land area; some protected areas overlap. c) Including 343 km²of peripheral zones. d) 15 areas and 36 historic trees or coppices. e) The category “game reserves” has been replaced by the category “wildlife refuges”. f) Including areas designated as Strict Nature Reserves and Nature Reserves. g) Including peripheral zones. h) The boundaries of the marine parks were redefined in 2003.

*Table 9. Protected areas under international agreements^a, 2007* (YPEHODE, 2008)
	Sites (number)	Area of sites (km²)	International agreement
SPAa^b	9	2 601.76	Barcelona Convention
Biogenetic reserves	16	222.60	Council of Europe
World heritage	2^c	340.75	Paris Convention
Biosphere reserves	2	90	UNESCO
European diploma	1	51	Council of Europe
Wetlands	10	1 687	Ramsar Convention
a) Excludes SPAs and SCIs under EU Directives b) Specially Protected Areas of the Barcelona Convention SPA and Biodiversity Protocol c) Including Mount Athos

*Table 10. Main threats affecting avian species assessed in 2009* (Handrinos et al., 2009)
Threats	Number of species
Habitat degradation/Loss	51
Pollution, pesticides, poisoning	38
Disturbance (e.g. hunting)	32
Hunting, persecution, trapping	28
Small population/Limited distribution	14
Lack/limited food resources	12
Natural disasters	4
Other (e.g. competition)	4
Hybridisation	2
Unknown/Undetermined	14

*Table 11. List of the 100 Worst Invasive Alien Species recorded in the terrestrial environment of Greece (DAISIE database, 2008)*
*Primary Producers*	*Invertebrates*	*Vertebrates*
Ailanthus altissima	Aphis gossypii	Lithobates catesbeianus
Carpobrotus edulis	Bemisia tabaci	Myocastor coypus
Opuntia ficus-indica	Cameraria ohridella	Psittacula krameri
Oxalis pescaprae	Frankliniella occidentalis	Rattus norvegicus
Paspalum paspaloides	Harmonia axyridis	Trachemys scripta
Robinia pseudoacacia	Leptinotarsa decemlineata
	Liriomyza huidobrensis

*Table 12. List of the 60 worst aquatic invasive alien species recorded in Greece, 2009*
*Aquatic Marine*			*Aquatic Inland*
*Primary Producers*	*Invertebrates*	*Vertebrates*	*Primary Producers*	*Invertebrates*	*Vertebrates*
Alexandrium taylori	Amphistegina lobifera	Fistularia commersonii	Azolla filiculoides	Anguillicola crassus	Carassius gibbelio
Asparagopsis armata	Brachidontes pharaonis	Lagocephalus sceleratus	Ludwigia peploides montevidensis	Anodonta woodiana	Cyprinus carpio carpio
Asparagopsis taxiformis	Branchiomma luctuosum	Liza hematoheila^*		Aphanomyces astaci	Gambusia holbrooki
Caulerpa racemosa	Bursatella leachii	Micropterus salmoides^*		Dreissena polymorpha	Lepomis gibbosus
Codium fragile	Callinectes sapidus	Saurida undosquamis		Pacifastacus leniusculus	Lithobates catesbeianus
Colpomenia peregrina	Crassostrea gigas	Scomberomorus commerson		Potamopyrgus antipodarum	Liza haematocheila^*
Halophila stipulacea	Crepidula fornicata	Seriola fasciata			Micropterus salmoides^*
Ostreopsis ovata	Ficopomatus enigmaticus	Siganus luridus			Myocastor coypus
Phaeocystis pouchettii	Hydroides dianthus	Siganus rivulatus			Oncorhynchus mykiss
Stypopodium schimperi	Hydroides elegans	Sphoeroides pachygaster			Ondatra zibethicus
Womersleyella setacea	Marsupenaeus japonicus				Pseudorasbora parva
	Mnemiopsis leidyi				Salmo salar
	Percnon gibbesi				Salvelinus fontinalis
	Petricola pholadiformis				Trachemys scripta
	Pinctada radiata
	Portunus pelagicus
	Rapana venosa
	Rhopilema nomadica
	Spirorbis marioni

* Liza haematocheilaand Micropterus salmoides can be found both in aquatic marine and aquatic inland environment.

*Table 13. Change (%) in nutrient loads between 1995 and 2007, in selected Hellenic coastal waters*
*AREA/* *PARAMETER*	*Psittalia*	*Inner Saronikos*	*Elefsis* *Bay*	*Thessaloniki* *Bay*	*Thermaikos* *Gulf*
Nitrate	25.9 % decrease	41.4 % increase	52.0 % increase	24.8 % decrease	7.53 % increase
Phosphate	13.5 % decrease	23.4 % decrease	56.3 % decrease	53.1 % decrease	31.1 % decrease
Ammonium	2.17 % decrease	50.7 % decrease	5.12 % decrease	75.3 % decrease	56.3 % decrease
DIN:P	18.7 % increase	14.2 % increase	149 % increase	20.2 % decrease	46.6 % decrease

Table 14. Legislative framework for nature conservation, 1998-2007
Act number and year	Act title/subject
Law 2637/1998	Establishment of the Certification Account Organisation and of wildlife refuges
JMD 33318/3028/1998	EU Habitat Directive (92/43/EC)
Law 2719/1999	International convention of the conservation of migratory species of wild fauna and other regulations
Law 2742/1999	Spatial planning and sustainable development and other regulations (including management bodies)
Law 2902/2001	Memorandum of understanding between the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Turkey concerning the cooperation for the protection of the environment
Law 2971/2001	Sea shore legislation and other regulations
Law 3010/2002	Harmonisation of the Law No 1650/86 according to EU directives 97/11/EC and 96/61/EC, and other regulations (including Environmental Impact Assessment for natural areas)
Law 3022/2002	Amendments to the 1970 Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and to its 1980 protocol on pollution from of land-based sources
Law 3026/2002	Modification of the Article XXI of the Convention for the International Trade of species of flora and fauna that are threatened by extinction (CITES)
Law 3044/2002	Establishment of 25 management bodies of protected areas
Law 3071/2002	Implementation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provisions concerning the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migrating fish stocks
JMD 11642/1943/2002	EU Directive 2001/18/EC on the release of genetically modified organisms into the environment
Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC)	The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) requires achieving the effective protection of aquatic ecosystems and high quality standards for surface waters, including coastal and transitional waters, by 2015. The main requirement of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EK) is the achievement of Good Environmental Status in the marine area by 2020.
Law 3165/2003	International Convention on phytogenetic resources for food and agriculture
Law 3208/2003	Protection of the forests ecosystems and compilation of forest cadastre, regulation of holding rights on forests and forest areas
Law 3233/2004	Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in the Convention on Biological Diversity
JMD 38639/2017/2005	EU Directive 1998/81/EC on the use of genetically modified micro-organisms
Law 3495/2006	International plant protection convention – new revised text
Law 3568/2007	International Convention on the regulation of whaling and its protocol
Law 3585/2007	Environmental protection, agricultural security and other regulations
Law 3598/2007	Agreement on the privileges and immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Law 3497/2007	Protocol concerning cooperation in preventing pollution from ships and, in cases of emergency, combating pollution of the Mediterranean Sea
JMD Η.Π. 14849/853 /Ε 103/2008	Update of the transposition of the Habitats Directive.

JMD: Joint Ministerial Decision.

Figure 1. Red list index (RLI) for avian species survival in Greece in 1992 and 2009.
(RLI₁₉₉₂=0.64, RLI2009=0.68. The smaller the RLI, the greater the number of Greek avian species with an increased extinction risk (Handrinos et al., 2009))

Figure 2. Cumulative number of alien species established in the terrestrial environment,

Greece, 2008

Figure 3. Cumulative number of alien species established in the marine environment,

Greece, 2008

Figure 4. Cumulative number of alien species established in inland freshwaters,

Greece, 2008

Figure 5. Marine Trophic Index of Hellenic Seas, 1950 - 2004

Figure 6. Growth of nationally designated protected areas in Greece (cumulative area)

Figure 7. Relative contribution of land-cover categories in Greece taken by urban and other artificial land development, 1990 – 2000

Figure 8. Ecological quality of coastal waters based on seasonal (winter and summer) concentrations of PO₄, NO₃ and NH₄ (Pavlidou et al., 2005)

Unpolluted: <0.07 μΜ phosphate; <0.62 μM for nitrate and <0.55 μM for ammonium;

Low Polluted: 0.07-0.14 μM for phosphate; 0.62-0.65 μM for nitrate and 0.55-1.05 μM for ammonium;

Moderately Polluted: 0.14-0.68 μM for phosphate; 0.65-1.09 μM for nitrate and 1.05-2.2 μM for ammonium;

Highly Polluted: >0.68 μM for phosphate; >1.19 for nitrate and > 2.20 for ammonium.

Figure 9. Mean Integrated values of phoshate in Hellenic coastal waters, 1995 and 2007

Figure 10. Mean Integrated values of nitrate in Hellenic coastal waters, 1995 and 2007

Figure 11. Mean Integrated values of ammonium in coastal areas of Greece, 1995 and 2007

Figure 12. Mean Integrated values of DIN:P ratios in Hellenic coastal waters, 1995 and 2007

References

Arianoutsou, M. 2007. Resilience of Mediterranean vegetation to fire: issues under the global change scenarios. In: Rokich, D., Wardell-Johnson, G., Yates, C., Stevens, J., Dixon, K., R. McLellan, R., Moss, G. (Eds.), Proceedings of the MEDECOS XI International Conference, Perth, Australia. Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth, Australia, pp. 5–7.
EEA, 2007. Europe’s Environment – The Fourth Assessment. State of the environment report No 1/2007, European Environment Agency. Copenhagen.
Handrinos, K. and Kastritis, T., 2009. Birds, in: Legakis, A. & Maragou, P. (eds). The Red Data Book of Threatened Animals of Greece. Hellenic Zoological Society, Athens (in press).
Handrinos, K., Kastritis, T., Catsadorakis, G., Alivizatos, X., Xirouchakis, S., Kazantzidis, S., Bourdakis, S., Dimalexis, A., 2009. The new Red List of the Threatened Birds of Greece. In: 11th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions. 21-25 September 2009.
Hatzilacou, D., 2009. Biodiversity. In: Greece:State of the Environment Report 2008. (Edited by S. Dimitroulopoulou, in Greek, with English Summary). National Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, 300pp.
http://www.ekpaa.greekregistry.eu/images/stories/EKTHESI_2008.pdf

Hulme, P.E., Brundu, G., Camarda, I., Dalias, P., Llambdon, P., Lloret, F., Medail, F., Moragues, E., Suehs, C., Traveset, A., Troumbis, A. & Vilà, M., 2008. Assessing the risks of alien plant invasions on Mediterranean islands. In: Tokarska-Guzik, B., Brundu, G., Brock, J.H., Child, L.E., Pyšek, P., Daehler, C. (eds.) Plant invasions? Human perception, ecological impacts and management. Backhuys, Leiden, pp 39–56.
Lavorel S., Canadell J., Rambal S. & Terradas J., 1998. Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems: research priorities on global change effects. Global Ecol Biogeogr Lett 7: 157–166
Legakis, A., 2004. How many are the animal species of Greece? Greek Ecologists Union and Hellenic Zoological Society National Conference, Mytilene, November 2004.
Legakis, A., Tzanetatou-Polymeni, R., Giokas S., Sotiropoulos, K., 2006. Faunal Diversity. University of Athens. 217 pp.
MINENV, 2010, 5^th National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Ministry of Environment, energy and Climate Change, January 2010.
http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/natc/grc_nc5.pdf

Pavlidou, A., Psyllidou-Giouranovits, R. and Sylaios, G.K., 2005. Nutrients and dissolved oxygen in Hellenic coastal waters, in: State of the state Hellenic Marine Environment, E. Papathanasiou and A. Zenetos (eds), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 127-136.
Piñol J., Terradas J. & Lloret F., 1998. Climate warming, wildfire hazard and wildfire occurrence in coastal eastern Spain. Climate Change 38: 345–357.
Strid, A., 2006. The botanical exploration of Greece.IVth Balkan Botanical Congress. June 20-26, 2006 Sofia.
Strid, A., Tan, K. (Εds), 1997. Flora Hellenica. Vol. 1: Gymnospermae to Caryophyllaceae.
Vilà M., Lloret F., Ogheri E. & Terradas J., 2001. Positive fire-grass feedback in Mediterranean Basin woodlands. Forest Ecol Manage 147: 3–14.
YPEHODE, 2008. Third National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, YPEHODE, Athens.
Zenetos, A. Pancucci-Papadopoulou, M.A., Zogaris, S., Papastergiadou,E.A., Vardakas, L., Aligizaki, K., Economou, A.N., 2009. Aquatic alien species in Greece: tracking sources, patterns and effects on the ecosystem. Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki 12: 135-172.