NATIONAL PARKS IN GREECE

1. NATIONAL PARKS IN GREECE

2. What is a national park? • A national park is a reserve of natural or semi-natural land, declared or owned by a government, set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, animal and environmental protection and restricted from most development. • According to Greek and international law, every national park consists of the core (zone of absolute protection), which prohibits any activity that could disrupt the ecosystem (hunting, fishing, grazing and logging) and the peripheral zone (restricted area protection),where certain activities are allowed.

3. How many and what national parks are in Greece? • In our country we have identified ten national parks, covering some 840,000 acres. • Greece is among the first countries in Europe, which gained national parks: in 1938 established the national parks of Olympus and Parnassus.

4. Greek national parks: Olympus National Park Parnassos National Park Parnitha National Park Samaria National Park Vikos–Aoös National Park Ainos National Park Sounio National Park Oeta National Park Pindos National Park Prespes National Park .

5. Despite their great value, Greek forests face many dangers and threats. • Wildfires and encroachment as a result of urban expansion and uncontrolled human activity are definitely the most important threats. Greek forests are gradually replaced by urban, suburban and tourist areas. • Overgrazing, often followed by fire, is the main culprit behind the bare mountains of Greece. Animals (mainly sheep) that graze freely in forests, damage vegetation, destroy natural regeneration, trample and degrade the soil physical properties. When grazing is mild and sustainably managed, it may prove beneficial for the protection of our forests.  • The absence of a coherent and efficient national forest policy, lack of forestry management and the degeneration of the Forest Service are factors that accentuate the problems of Greek forests.

6. OLYMPUS NATIONAL PARK • In 1938, Olympus, the highest Greek mountain, the residence of the twelve ancient gods, was the first area which was declared as a National Park. • The aim was the preservation of the natural environment, of the flora, fauna and natural landscapes, as well as of its cultural and other values. Scientific research had to be supported and people had to become aware of the environmental conditions. Furthermore tourism had to be developed in the wider area.

7. The Parnassus national Park. • Mt Parnassus is one of the highest mountains in central Greece at 2,457m and lies a few km east of the famous archaeological and birding site of Delphi. • The Parnassus National Park is dominated by several high peaks and the scenery and forests here are among the most beautiful in the country. The virtually unspoilt forests consist largely of Greek Fir Abies cephalonica and this is one of the best preserved forests of this tree remaining in Greece.

8. Mount Parnitha national Park. • Mount Parnitha is a densely forested mountain range north of Athens, the highest on the peninsula of Attica, with an elevation of 1,413 m (Much of the mountain is designated a national park, and is a protected habitat for wildfowl, first created in 1961. • The summit is located 18 km N of Acharnae and about 30 km N of Athens, while the mountain covers approximately 250 km² of land

9. Samaria national Park • The gorge is in the prefecture of Chania in southwest Crete. It was created by a small river running between the White Mountains (LefkáÓri) and Mt. Volakias. There are a number of other gorges in the White Mountains. • The gorge became a national park in 1962, particularly as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan goat), which is largely restricted to the park and an island just off the shore of Agia Marina

10. Vikos national Park • The Vikos–Aoös National Park founded in 1973, is located 30 kilometers north of the city of Ioannina. • It is named after the two major gorges of the area and encompasses 12,600 hectares of mountainous terrain, with numerous rivers, lakes, caves, deep canyons, dense coniferous and deciduous forest. • The park is part of the Natura 2000 ecological network and one of UNESCO Geoparks . • Over 100,000 people visit the park each year and take part in activities including rafting, canoe-kayaking, hiking and mountain biking.

11. Ainos national park • Mount Aenos or Ainos is the tallest mountain in the Ionian island of Cephallonia, Greece, with an elevation of 1,628 metres (5,341 ft). • Most of the mountain range is designated as a park area and is covered with Greek fir (Abies Cephallonica) and black pine (Pinusnigra) .

12. Sounio national park • This is the smallest of the country's ten national parks. Its core area is only half that required for a national park but an exception was made because it's coastal, extraordinarily scenic, archaeologically unique. • The greatest interest for the natural historian lies in its geological history and properties though its main draw is the fifth-century BCE temple of Poseidon (built with local marble.) • Its plant and animal life are of limited interest compared to the other national parks. Apart from one endemic cornflower species, the flora are generally commonplace. It does serve as a valuable refuge for species long gone in the rest of the densely populated peninsula such as foxes and jackals. Perhaps the most important factor is that it's protected as a forest and thus almost impossible to turn into lots, it being absolutely prime real estate in the eyes of the many greedy property developers that infest Attica.

13. Oeta national park • Mount Oetais a mountain to the south of Central Greece.Itis an offshoot of the Pindus range, (2,160 m) high. In its eastern portion, called Callidromus, it comes close to the sea, leaving only a narrow passage known as the famous pass of Thermopylae.. • In mythology Oeta is chiefly celebrated as the scene of Heracles' death. Prepared to die, he ascended Mount Oeta, where he built a funeral pile of trees, gave his bow and arrows to Poeas, father of Philoctetes, and laid himself down on the pile, his head resting on his club, and his lion's skin spread over him, and commanded Philoctetes to apply the torch to the pyre.

14. Pindos national park • Pindos National Park (Valia Calda) is the national park that of mountainous region of "Zesti Koilada", and area rich in pine and beech pine trees. The Park was establised in 1966, it covers an area of 7000 hectares of which 3300 are the center and the rest is the district zone of the forestry. • . • The visitor can come in contact with the wild beauty of this forested area, from the Prefecture of Ioannina . • Crystal clear are the waters of the rivers in the forested area of Aoos and the rapid waters of the river Arkoudorema They are surrounded in the distance the mountainous range of Lygkos with peaks over 2000 meters.

15. Prespes national park • The basin of the Prespa lakes is endowed with an exceptional biodiversity. The region has been recognized as a European and Global Hotspot of Biodiversity, not only because of the sheer number of species and habitats present, but also due to their quality, such as rarity and conservation significance. • There are 1249 species of higher plants in the Prespa National Forest in Greece alone. The studies of the FYR of Macedonian part of the basin identified 13 habitat types of European importance, 33 globally significant plant species and 84 globally significant vertebrate species. Among others, there are the endemic forest with Juniperus species, the Macedonian, Balkan Pine, stream trout, Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant and the Balkan Lynx. Numerous local endemic species both plants and animals, can be found in the basin and nowhere else in the world. • .

16. Thank you for your attention ! References: • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_parks_of_Greece, accessed 18.12.2010. • Greek forests - Greek forests – WWF, www.wwf.gr, accessed 18.12.2010. • Management Agency of Olympus National Park, www.olympusfd.gr/us/infos.asp, accessed 18.12.2010. • Management Agency of Olympus National Park, samariagorge.eu/, accessed 18.12.2010, etc.