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Fossil Fuels Group Padlet

Executive Summary of GRoup 8

“Fossil fuels” are a group of combustible hydrocarbons which are formed from the organic material of decayed plants and animals.  Exposure to heat and the pressure of the earth’s crust over millions of years converts these organic materials to crude oil/petroleum, coal and natural gas..

Fossil fuels have fueled human development and its ever growing energy demands. During the Industrial Revolution, populations began using fossil fuels as an energy source on a massive scale.  This began in the form of coal which was then overtaken by oil and gas production in the late 1800s. In 2007 86,4% of the primary energy consumption in the world could be sourced back to fossil fuels. Just about everything we do in life right now is tied, one way or another, to the consumption of a fossil fuel.

Though actually a finite resource, having considerable impacts on the environment, the consumption of fossil fuels as an energy source is a contentious subject as their use has a range of disadvantages as well as advantages. Furthermore, globally unequal access to these important resources in developed and developing countries, respectively, raises controversial issues both in terms of economic development and environmental protection.

U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA) (https://energyinformative.org/fossil-fuels-pros-and-cons/ )

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Comparing business plans
Many businnes plans are focusing just on a threatened species and dont have very clear plan how to protect it.
I like more the plans which offer some practical info of how could be implemented aiming to conservate habitats and wildlife catching the bigger idea of nature conservation

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“Now, over half of us live in an urban environment. My home, too, is here in the city of London. Looking down on this great metropolis, the ingenuity with which we continue to reshape the surface of our planet is very striking. It’s also very sobering, and reminds me of just how easy it is for us to lose our connection with the natural world. Yet it’s on this connection that the future of both humanity and the natural world will depend. And surely, it is our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth.”

David Attenborough.

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https://padlet.com/metroindian/73friq68owza

Field studies are necessary to update current knowledge on the distribution of the plants and the main risks they face. Studies should include research on its reproduction biology that have not yet been undertaken. Conservation actions should be carefully planned based on the results of this research. Expansion of the already existing reserves to include the scree fields would provide further protection and could effectively protect several other co-occurring local endemic and endangered plants as well as several rare cliff plant communities and species-rich pastures and forests. This species would also benefit from ex situ cultivation in botanical gardens.

In situ: The priority should be to protect the species from grazing. The areas where it grows should be fenced and managed to keep grazing animals out. . Moreover, stone quarrying and plant collection should be prohibited.

Ex situ: Species could be cultivated and possibly have a potential as ornamental plants. They should be propagated and planted in other suitable sites, following IUCN/SSC Guidelines for re-introductions which include guidance on benign introductions. Further efforts should be made in order to collect seeds from all populations in order to be able to conserve the entire genetic pool of the species and to carry out re-enforcement interventions where and when needed.

It's time for action

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Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation.

Possible factors threatening endagered species are several like
1. Overharvesting

2. Habitat loss

3. Pollution

4. Invasive species

5. Human-wildlife conflict( farming, chemical pesticides, tourism industry etc )

6. Pests, fungus

7. Genetic vulnerability

8. Small isolated population
9. Climate change ( long droughts, floods, severe winds )

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The second threatened specie i was able to find is Consolida Samia

Consolida samia is a narrow endemic whose distribution range was thought to be restricted to the Island of Samos, where it grows on the steep limestone scree of Mt. Kerkis at an altitude of 800 m a.s.l. (habitat 6.1: Screes). In 2011, a second population was found in a very limited area of Soma Kocasivri hill in the Balikesir border of Manisa (western Anatolia, Turkey) at an altitude of 900 m a.s.l. This species appears to be restricted to a very particular habitat. It grows only on loose pebbly gravel-like screes, with the largest pebbles measuring about 2 cm in diameter and has never been found in any adjacent rocky areas or neighbouring fields with larger stone outcrops. The scree where it grows has no dense vegetation cover, yet despite growing in the open, this plant is easy to overlook because of its very small size.

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The list has very few species, meaning that there is no update reseach for Greece and my plant area as well
According to my research only one of the species inlcuded in this list grow in my plant area.

From other list of IUCN for the islands of my Plant area i was able to one more specie which is threatened. One grows in Ikaria and Fourni Island and is called Galanthus Ikariae

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164898/5936370

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I enjoyed a lot Mireille Lucas' PlantArea BE padlet because she is very accurate and authentic on her approach to every issue asked to answer. I also appreciate a lot the fact that she is very active on other padlets and her ideas aobut the business plan character to make it succesfull

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Theophrastus from Lesvos island ( island of  my plant area)

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Theophrastus from Lesvos island ( island of  my plant area)

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These two large botanical treaties: 'Enquiry into Plants' , and 'On the Causes of Plants are 18 books in total which constitute the most important contribution to botanical science during antiquity and the Middle Ages, the first systemization of the botanical world locating him in the pantheon of History's botanis

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Two favourite spices of me are turmeric and paprika

Paprika (US English more commonly /pəˈpriːkə/ (listen),[1] British English more commonly /ˈpæprɪkə/ (listen)[2]) is a ground spicemade from dried red fruits of the larger and sweeter varieties of the plant Capsicum annuum,[3] called bell pepper or sweet pepper. The most common variety used for making paprika is tomato pepper,[4][5] sometimes with the addition of more pungent varieties, called chili peppers, and cayenne pepper.[6][7] In many languages, but not English, the word paprika also refers to the plant and the fruit from which the spice is made.

Although paprika is often associated with Hungarian cuisine, the peppers from which it is made are native to the New World and were later introduced to the Old World. Originating in central Mexico, paprika was brought to Spain in the 16th century. The seasoning is also used to add color to many types of dishes.

The trade in paprika expanded from the Iberian Peninsula to Africa and Asia,[8]:8 and ultimately reached Central Europe through the Balkans, then under Ottoman rule, which explains the Hungarian origin of the English term. In Spanish, paprika has been known as pimentón since the 16th century, when it became a typical ingredient in the cuisine of western Extremadura.[8]:5, 73 Despite its presence in Central Europe since the beginning of Ottoman conquests, it did not become popular in Hungary until the late 19th century.[9]

Paprika can range from mild to hot – the flavor also varies from country to country – but almost all plants grown produce the sweet variety.[10] Sweet paprika is mostly composed of the pericarp, with more than half of the seeds removed, whereas hot paprika contains some seeds, stalks, placentas, and calyces.[8]:5, 73 The red, orange or yellow color of paprika is due to its content of carotenoids

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paprika

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Two favourite spices of me are turmeric and paprika

Turmeric (Curcuma longa; /ˈtɜːrmərɪk/ or variously /ˈtjuːmərɪk/[2]) is a flowering plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the roots of which are used in cooking.[3] The plant is rhizomatous, herbaceous, and perennial, and is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption.

When not used fresh, the rhizomes are boiled in water for about 30–45 minutes and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries, as well as for dyeing.[4] Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma.[5][6]

Although long used in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is also known as haridra,[7] no high-quality clinical evidence exists for use of turmeric or its constituent, curcumin, as a therapy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric

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In my plant area North East Aegean islands local cuisine is combining local herbs ( oregano, thyme, savory ) and imported spices from all over the world like turmeric or ginger.

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INNOVATORS LOOK TO “ACCIDENTAL CROPS” AS A NUTRITIOUS, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND FREE SOURCE OF FOOD

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INNOVATORS LOOK TO “ACCIDENTAL CROPS” AS A NUTRITIOUS, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND FREE SOURCE OF FOOD

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Edible wild greens could help improve food security, boost public health and make communities more resilient to disaster.

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September 28, 2018 - Philip Stark was on a long run in the hills above Berkeley, California, when he started thinking differently about the wild green plants around him. "I knew some that were edible," says Stark, a statistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. With research interests in nutrition and health, he wanted to learn more about these edible plants and find out which ones could be foraged for food. "Once your brain starts to notice the environment that way - once plants are not just an undifferentiated sea of green - you see the plants everywhere."

Edible wild greens are consumed globally, particularly during food shortages, and many are used medicinally in teas, poultices and supplements, Stark learned. But he found little about their nutritional qualities. Living in the San Francisco area, he started wondering if plants growing wild in cities - not just on the trails he ran and other less urban environments - were safe to eat. If some of them were, and if they were nutritious and free from pollutants, he wondered if foraging could potentially help combat food insecurity in cities, boost public health, and - because he lived in earthquake country - boost communities' disaster resilience.

Stark and his research team set out to find answers. In which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, they described what they found, including: Wild greens grow abundantly in poor industrial regions of San Francisco, even surviving droughts; the six most abundant greens tested had nutrients rivaling that of cultivated kale; and after the wild greens were rinsed in water, levels of pesticides, PCBs and heavy metals were well below doses considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The group has documented 126 edible species of wild food in the area so far.

While wild greens have been ignored and even vilified, domesticated greens have been bred for several traits - such as sweetness, yield, shelf life and visual appeal - that can compromise their nutritional value. Not only did the tested wild species feature generally higher vitamins and minerals than cultivated kale, they were full of phytonutrients, compounds that may help reduce ailments like cancer and heart disease.

Stark's research complements of nutritionally superior fruits from abandoned orchards and gardens, growing wild in the Boston area. Those findings follow other studies that find high nutrient concentrations in wild edible food - although there isn't much information to go on.

"Despite the growing recognition that foraged foods are a component of urban food systems and urban ecosystems, surprisingly little is known about their safety, nutritional value, or availability," Stark and colleagues wrote in their paper.

The that is available for safety is mixed. While the wild greens in San Francisco had heavy metal content well below levels considered safe for consumption, some research shows that a few species have higher levels of contaminants when growing near major roadways or in rural areas. On the whole, research suggests that trace metals accumulate the least in legumes and the most in leafy greens, with root vegetables somewhere between.

The advantages are apparent to Stark, both in urban and rural areas. "They are essentially universally available and free, so equity and access are clear," he says.

"If I had my way," Stark says, "municipalities would levy a one-time parcel tax - probably less than [US]$50 - to test the soil at every address for heavy metals and relevant industrial and agricultural contaminants. Then they could publish maps of where it's safe to grow or forage food."

Beyond potential to be a nutritious and free edible resource, wild food offers several ecological benefits. These accidental crops don't need to be cultivated or watered. They're abundant in farms, gardens, sidewalks and median strips on public and private land. Those that are natives are well adapted to local ecosystems and their biodiversity. The hardy plants have thrived despite disruptive human activities and environmental extremes, and because they are close to where people live, there is no concern about associated "food miles" and the emissions that go with them.
Obstacles and Opportunities
There have been reported instances of people getting in trouble with law enforcement for picking dandelions in and , while another forager was penalized for picking berries from a suburban park in Washington, D.C.

Some foraging laws are in place to protect local ecosystems. So would-be urban foragers are cautioned to make sure they understand foraging etiquette and local laws.

And it's also important to understand local plants, says Australian gardening expert . Although some weeds like dandelion and purslane grow around much of the world, others are specific to local areas.

"So, to really get the best out of what's available to you locally, source your information locally," she advises. "There are local courses springing up in capital cities everywhere."

But there's the issue of whether people would even want to eat what they consider weeds if they could. Stark says it comes down to familiarity: People eat what they recognize and are comfortable with. For those wanting to broaden their culinary horizons into urban foraged food, he recommends taking a class from a local expert. Then make a list of plants - and parts of plants - that you know are safe. "Start with one plant you know is edible and bring some home for dinner," he suggests. Then gradually add more species to your diet.

Wall has been eating edible wild greens since she was a child. She now runs regular educational workshops in Queensland, Australia, where participants forage and then have a meal together "based on weeds," she says. Meanwhile, Stark's team offers an annual " Wild/Feral Food Week " to showcase the gastronomic opportunities offered by wild foods and entice people and chefs to become more familiar with them.

"There's a big, diverse, edible world out there," he says. "Take a bite of it!"

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Dandelions for dinner? Innovators look to "accidental crops" as a nutritious, free and environmentally friendly source of food

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September 28, 2018 - Philip Stark was on a long run in the hills above Berkeley, California, when he started thinking differently about the wild green plants around him. "I knew some that were edible," says Stark, a statistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Two groups of food plants which are very common in my plant area are

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Two groups of food plants which are very common in my plant area are

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Wild annual greens

Islanders in my Plant Area of North East Aegean are still practising foraging of wild food during the humid period of local climate from October to May. One common edible wild green is dandelion
Dozens of wild greens are edible using its leafs,stems or roots

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Two groups of food plants which are very common in my plant area are

Grain legumes (Pulses)

Grain legumes are cultivated for their seeds. The seeds are used for human and animal
consumption or for the production of oils for industrial uses. PULSES, a subgroup of
legumes, are plant foods from the Fabaceae family (commonly known as the pea family).
The edible seeds of pulses are eaten by humans and animals. FAO cloassifies only legumes
with dry, edible seeds with low fat content as pulses. FAO does not consider pulses legume
species used as vegetables (e.g. green peas, green beans), for oil extraction (e.g. soybean,
groundnut) and for sowing purposes (e.g. clover, alfalfa).

In many islands of my plant area there is still cultivation of native leggumes varieties like lupin of Limnos or lentils of Samos island

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ΛΟΥΠΙΝΟ ΤΟ  ΚΡΕΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΦΤΩΧΟΥ  ΝΕΑ ΚΑΛΛΙΕΡΓΕΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΝΟΜΠ ΚΙΛΚΙΣ Ν ΣΕΡΡΩΝ Ν ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ

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The main tree species decorated during Christmas in Greece is fir either in pots so as to be planted outdoors after Christmas or being cut to be sold.
Most of greek production comes from a village in Halkidiki region named Taxiarhis organised by the university of Thessaloniki

History of the First Christmas Tree in Greece

The first Christmas tree came to Greece in 1833. The King Otto, who was originally from Bavaria, brought with him many traditions from his old country. Christmas trees have been a part of the German Christmas tradition since Martin Luther began the custom and the new king set out to make the Palace of Othonas feel like home. He reigned from 1832 to 1862 and each year during Christmas, there would be a tree at the palace. Many families began to decorate Christmas trees, as well.

Christmas trees farmer in North Greece

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Alcohol produced from Strawberry trees fruits

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Alcohol produced from Strawberry trees fruits

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Distillation video of strawberry tree fruits

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Τσίπουρο από Κούμαρα: Ένα σπάνιο απόσταγμα μύθου και γεύσης του Ολύμπου(ΠΕΡΙΞ-180516)

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FRuits of Arbutus unedo have high sugar concentration so are left oto ferment in barrels and when sugar is measured enough are distilled twice to produce alcohol out of fruit

Arbutus unedo, the strawberry tree, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe north to western France and Ireland. Due to its presence in southwest and northwest Ireland, it is known as either "Irish strawberry tree", or cain or cane apple (from the Irish name for the tree, caithne[2]), or sometimes Killarney strawberry tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbutus_unedo

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Use of grapes is known to date back to Neolithic times, following the discovery in 1996 of 7,000-year-old wine storage jars in present-day northern Iran.[18] Further evidence shows the Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians had vine plantations and winemaking skills. Greek philosophers praised the healing powers of grapes both whole and in the form of wine. Vitis vinifera cultivation and winemaking in Chinabegan during the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century[19] with the importation of the species from Ta-Yuan. However, wild vine "mountain grapes" like Vitis thunbergii were being used for wine making before that time.[20] In traditional medicine of India V. vinifera is used in prescriptions for cough, respiratory tract catarrh, subacute cases of enlarged liver and spleen, as well as in alcohol-based tonics (Aasavs).[21]

In the Mediterranean Basin, leaves and young stems are traditionally used to feed sheep and goats after grapevine pruning [22]

Using the sap of grapevines, European folk healers sought to cure skin and eye diseases. Other historical uses include the leaves being used to stop bleeding, pain and inflammation of hemorrhoids. Unripe grapes were used for treating sore throats, and raisins were given as treatments for consumption (tuberculosis), constipation and thirst. Ripe grapes were used for the treatment of cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, skin and eye infections as well as kidney and liver diseases.

Seedless grape varieties were developed to appeal to consumers, but researchers are now discovering that many of the healthful properties of grapes may actually come from the seeds themselves, thanks to their enriched phytochemical content.[23][24]

Grapevine leaves are filled with minced meat (such as lamb, pork or beef), rice and onions in the making of Balkan traditional dolma.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_vinifera

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Vitis vinifera , the common grape vine, is a species of , native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are currently between 5,000 and 10,000 varieties of Vitis vinifera grapes though only a few are of commercial significance for wine and table grape production.

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Two alcoholic drinks consumed and produced in my plant area are
wine ( red, rose and white ) based on grapes fermentation and tsipouro based on strawberry tree fruits ( koumara) distillation

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Using every day knowledge i think that

We are still strongly depended on fossil fuels and only the developed countries of the world have the technology and therefore the luxury of using green energy.

Replacing fossil fuels with biofuels is highly controversial since it solves one problem but creates new ones.

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This study presentes future projections of potential climate change impacts. In the near future, i.e. the period 2021-2050, climate conditions are expected to deteriorate compared to the reference period (1961-1990) conditions.

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Existing and Future impact of Climate Change to my plant area islands

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Comparing plant areas with regards to climate change.

Having a look at about 20 padlets for cliamte change i could say that most of them share general info for cliamte change and don't get deeper on the phenomenon of climate change into their plant areas

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Climate change in Greece and islands of my plant area.

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Climate change in Greece and islands of my plant area.

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To summarize, it is estimated that the changes in Greece's climate will be the following:

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The IPCC scenario we have chosen to use for the predictions of this study is one of the most "realistic". It predicts that in the future there will be rapid technological developments that will limit the explosive increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. According to this scenario, humankind will fail to meet the Paris goal, but not by much. The group has chosen to study the impact of the phenomenon during the 20-year period 2046-2065, since it is allows for more accurate estimates. Further, it is close enough for us to be able to imagine the impact on our own life – a 12 year-old child will be a 41 year-old adult in 2046.

It is also important to note that these estimates are exactly that: Estimates. They, as well as their potential impact described below, are possible outcomes of climate change during the next decades. They are not the only ones. There are over-optimistic scenarios that predict rapid technological progress that could reduce carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. There are also pessimistic scenarios that see carbon dioxide explode to 1000 ppm, something that would lead to a temperature increase of 4 or 5 degrees Celsius, with indescribable, disastrous consequences for nature and human civilization.

However, some things are clear. Due to the nature of climate change, which evolves at a slow pace, all existing scenarios agree that, irrespective of what will happen in the next decades, temperature increase cannot be avoided. It may be lower or higher, but it is absolutely certain that it will take place. And some of the consequences of temperature increase, which we will examine below, are also unavoidable.

To summarize, then, it is estimated that the changes in Greece's climate will be the following:

1. The temperature is expected to rise by 2.5 degrees Celsius on average in relation to the period 1961-1990. Regionally, the increase may reach up to 3.8 degrees during the summer months. The increase will be higher in northern Greece and smaller in the southern Peloponnese, the south Aegean islands and Crete. This increase is expected to have dramatic consequences mainly in the urban areas, but also at wooded areas (which we will describe below).

2. Heat wave days (with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius) are expected to increase by 15-20 annually by 2050. By the end of the century, "tropic days" (days with temperatures of more than 35 degrees Celsius during the day and more than 20 degrees Celsius during the night) are expected to number more than 50 annually in most areas of the country.

3. By contrast, the days with night frost will decrease significantly, especially in Northern Greece (by up to 40 days annually).

4. At the same time, it is estimated that rainfall will decrease by 12% on average (20-30% decrease during the summer months, especially in the south, and 10% decrease during the winter months).

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Vulnerability of my plant area is medium to high according to research of ESPON CLIMATE (2013)

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assess the problem

My answer is

2. Tropical Andean trees migrate to higher altitudes where the air is cool enough to support their existence. Due to the fast climatic change they have to move faster in order to remain in equilibrium with their preferred temperatures.

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Cosmos revolutionary concept was to explore mind, society and nature and is still considered to be a substantial scientific and literary achievement, having influenced subsequent scientific progress and imparted a unifying perspective to the studies of science, nature, and mankind.

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Theme 2. Environmental adaptation and tolerance of plants

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Theme 2. Environmental adaptation and tolerance of plants

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Key environmental stress factors in my plant area that influence plant growth are the long dry periods of spring and summer, the hard south winds during several periods of the year and the overgrazing phenomenon transforming rich plant areas into desert

What causes a plant to be stressed? As with humans, stresses can originate from the surrounding environment (called abiotic, or nonliving stresses); or, they can come from living organisms that can cause disease or damage (caused biotic stresses).

Water Stress

One of the most important abiotic stresses affecting plants is water stress. A plant requires a certain amount of water for its optimal survival; too much water (flooding stress) can cause plant cells to swell and burst; whereas drought stress (too little water) can cause the plant to dry up, a condition called desiccation. Either condition can be deadly to the plant.

Temperature Stress

Temperature stresses can also wreak havoc on a plant. As with any living organism, a plant has an optimal temperature range at which it grows and performs best. If the temperature is too cold for the plant, it can lead to cold stress, also called chilling stress. Extreme forms of cold stress can lead to freezing stress. Cold temperatures can affect the amount and rate of uptake of water and nutrients, leading to cell desiccation and starvation. Under extremely cold conditions, the cell liquids can freeze outright, causing plant death.

Hot weather can affect plants adversely, too. Intense heat can cause plant cell proteins to break down, a process called denaturation. Cell walls and membranes can also "melt" under extremely high temperatures, and the permeability of the membranes is affected.

Other Abiotic Stresses

Other abiotic stresses are less obvious but can be equally as lethal. In the end, most abiotic stresses affect the plant cells in the same manner as do water stress and temperature stress. Wind stress can either directly damage the plant through sheer force; or, the wind can affect the transpiration of water through the leaf stomata and cause desiccation. Direct burning of plants through wildfires will cause the cell structure to break down through melting or denaturation.

In farming systems, the addition of agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, either in excess or in deficit, can also cause abiotic stress to the plant. The plant is affected by an imbalance of nutrition or via toxicity. High amounts of salt taken up by a plant can lead to cell desiccation, as elevated levels of salt outside a plant cell will cause water to leave the cell, a process called osmosis. Plant uptake of heavy metals can occur when plants grow in soils fertilized with improperly composted sewage sludge. High heavy metal content in plants can lead to complications with basic physiological and biochemical activities such as photosynthesis.

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Theme 2 . Mediterannean Biogeographical Region

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Theme 2 . Mediterannean Biogeographical Region

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Characeristics of this region

The Mediterranean biogeographical region and the Mediterranean Sea constitute a frontier zone between Europe, Asia and Africa in terms of climate and species • The climate is warm with hot summers and mild winters. Arid and desert conditions are increasing and water will become more and more scarce • Soils are low in humus, and the erosion risk is great in most areas • The number of indigenous species is still the highest in Europe, the wider Mediterranean area being one of the two hotspots for species in Europe • There is also a high number of endemics as well as wild ancestors to cultivated plants • The cultural influence on nature is the longest in Europe, but rural areas are increasingly being depopulated and abandonned • More than 35 % of the tourists visits in Europe take place in the region, exerting heavy pressure on land and coasts, water and nature resources • Formerly widespread dry grasslands and traditional agro-forestry with dehesa and montados are decreasing, the areas turned to intensive agriculture or abandonned to scrub formation • The intensive agriculture, vegetable growing and the large citrus orchards require intensive irrigation • The region is the olive oil, fruit and nut production region of Europe • Though there is only around 25% forest cover trees are a dominant feature in the landscape (incl. orchards, olive groves etc.) • Oaks are important, natural old forests are scarce • Sclerophyllous (evergreen) trees, shrubs and dwarfshrubs are characteristic, many with aromatic oil contents • There are few lakes and bogs, the area covered by mires is reduced • However, some of Europe’s most important wetlands for birds migrating between Europe and Africa are found both in eastern and western parts • Wolf and wildcat have spread, but the Iberian lynx is close to extinction

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Comparing my plant area to others i could say that i share more details about the topics asked to be answered. Also on many questions at least between the greek participants we have many same answers like the ones at plants producing alcohol. I miss some diversity on reserach and related info

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THEME 2. Complexity of plant biogeography Step 3.2

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THEME 2. Complexity of plant biogeography Step 3.2

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My plant area North East Aegean Region belongs to the east part of Mediterannean biogeographical region of Europe.

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Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview

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Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview

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REsearch about medicinal properties
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210003/

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Scientific Illustration

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Matricaria Chamomilla

Identification Card

Kingdom: | Plantae
Clade: | Angiosperms
Clade: | Eudicots
Clade: | Asterids
Order: | Asterales
Family: | Asteraceae
Genus: | Matricaria
Species: | M. chamomilla

Synonyms
Chamomilla chamomilla (L.) Rydb.
Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert
Matricaria recutita L.
Matricaria suaveolens L.
Sources: NRCS,[1] ITIS[2]

Morphology
M. chamomilla has a branched, erect and smooth stem, which grows to a height of 15–60 cm (6–23.5 in). The long and narrow leaves are bipinnate or tripinnate.
The flowers are borne in paniculate flower heads (capitula). The white ray florets are furnished with a ligule, while the disc florets are yellow. The hollow receptacle is swollen and lacks scales. This property distinguishes German chamomile from corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis), which has a receptacle with scales. The flowers bloom in early to midsummer, and have a strong, aromatic smell.

Etymology

The word chamomile comes from the Greek χαμαίμηλον (chamaimēlon) meaning "earth-apple",[6] which is derived from χαμαί (chamai) meaning "on the ground"[7] and μήλον (mēlon) meaning "apple".[8] It is so called because of the apple-like scent of the plant.

Chamomile blue refers to chamazulene, the purified, deep-blue essential oil derived using steam distillation, rather than the plant itself.

In Latin, one of the meanings of matrix is the womb; the name Matricaria was given to the genus because Matricaria chamomilla was widely used to treat such gynecologic complaints as menstrual cramps and sleep disorders related to premenstrual syndrome. Matricaria chamomilla has been found to contain fairly strong antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory constituents and is particularly effective in treating stomach and intestinal cramps.[9]

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5974156/

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Medical Attributes of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

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Medical Attributes of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5974156/

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Theme 1. Plant diversity     Oak forest in Ikaria

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Theme 1. Plant diversity     Oak forest in Ikaria

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RAdi forest formated mainly by Holm Oaks is one of the wider Oak forests among mediterannean islands with tress up to 400

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Theme 1.Plant diversity Coastal flora in Ikaria

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Theme 1.Plant diversity Coastal flora in Ikaria

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Wild lupins , flowers and shrubs during spring time at rocky slopes in Ikaria

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Theme 1. Plant diversity    Wild flowers in Samos     

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Theme 1. Plant diversity    Wild flowers in Samos     

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Several wild flowers during spring time at olive fields in Samos

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Hypericum perforatum, known as perforate St John's-wort,[1] common Saint John's wort and St John's wort,[note 1] is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. Although used as a medicinal herb with possible antidepressant activity, high-quality clinical evidence for such effects is limited. The plant is poisonous to livestock.[3]

The primary phytochemical constituent of St John's wort is hyperforin.[4]

Identification Card

Kingdom: | Plantae
Clade: | Angiosperms
Clade: | Eudicots
Clade: | Rosids
Order: | Malpighiales
Family: | Hypericaceae
Genus: | Hypericum
Section: | Hypericum sect.Hypericum
Species: | H. perforatum

Morphology

Perforate St John's wort is a herbaceous perennial plant with extensive, creeping rhizomes. Its reddish stems are erect and branched in the upper section, and can grow up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high. The stems are woody near their base and may appear jointed from leaf scars.[5] The branches are typically clustered about a depressed base. It has opposite and stalkless leaves that are narrow and oblong in shape and 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long.[6] Leaves borne on the branches subtend the shortened branchlets. The leaves are yellow-green in color, with scattered translucent dots of glandular tissue.[7] The dots are conspicuous when held up to the light, giving the leaves the "perforated" appearance to which the plant's Latin name refers. The flowers measure up to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) across, have five petals and sepals, and are colored bright yellow with conspicuous black dots.[8] The flowers appear in broad helicoid cymes at the ends of the upper branches, between late spring and early to mid summer. The cymes are leafy and bear many flowers. The pointed sepals have black glandular dots. The many stamens are united at the base into three bundles. The pollen grains are ellipsoidal.[2] The black and lustrous seeds are rough, netted with coarse grooves.[9]

When flower buds (not the flowers themselves) or seed pods are crushed, a reddish/purple liquid is produced.[10]

Etymology[edit]

The common name "St John's wort" may be used to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum. Therefore, Hypericum perforatum is sometimes called "common St John's wort" or "perforate St John's wort" to differentiate it.

St John's wort is named as such because it commonly flowers, blossoms and is harvested at the time of the summer solstice in late June, around St John's Feast Day on 24 June. The herb would be hung on house and stall doors on St John's Feast day to ward off evil spirits and to safeguard against harm and sickness to man and live-stock. The genus name Hypericum is possibly derived from the Greek words hyper (above) and eikon (picture), in reference to the tradition of hanging plants over religious icons in the home during St John's Day.

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Theme 1. Plant DiversityWild Tulips of Chios

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Theme 1. Plant DiversityWild Tulips of Chios

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The autochthonous species of Tulip grow in Chios, that the islanders call "lalades". In March wild fields and meadows are covered with these beautiful plants. They are a real attraction for tourists and a challenge for photographers.