Supervisors info:
Μαργαρίτα Αριανούτσου, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Βιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Παναγιώτης Δημητρακόπουλος, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Περιβάλλοντος, Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου
Νικόλαος Φύλλας, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Περιβάλλοντος, Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου
Summary:
Protected areas are a cornerstone of the global effort to conserve biodiversity. In Europe, this role has been assigned to the NATURA 2000 Network, which aims to protect and conserve species and habitats of European interest. One of the most important threats to biodiversity worldwide is biological invasions. The main objective of the thesis is to investigate the presence and spread of invasive plant taxa within protected areas of the NATURA 2000 network in Greece. Data concerning the presence of alien plant taxa were obtained from two separate programmmes of mapping, monitoring and re-evaluation of habitat types in NATURA 2000 sites during two periods, 1999-2000 and 2014-2015. These data were checked for their correlation to habitat types, climatic characteristics, hydrographic and road network, etc. Out of all protected areas of the NATURA 2000 network in Greece, 73 invasive plant taxa were recorded in 159 sites, in both periods. The types of habitats that gather the most invasive taxa plant species are riparian habitats and wetlands. For the period 1999-2000, the three areas with the the highest number of invasive plant taxa (Limnes Vegoritida - Petron, Potamos Kompsatos, Ydrochares Dasos Mourion) are located in northern Greece and all of them are wetlands, while for the period of 2014-2015 the areas with the highest number of alien plant taxa (Thines Kai Paraliako Dasos Zacharos, Thines Kyparissias, Chersonisos Rodopou – Paralia Maleme -Kolpos Chanion) are located in the western Peloponnese and western Crete and are mainly coastal areas. Taxa that were most frequently recorded are Oxalis pes-caprae, Arundo donax and Xanthium spinosum, the presence of which appears to be related to the habitat heterogeneity of the areas, the prevailing climatic conditions, and the presence of water at the occurrence site.
