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The region on Epirus is located in the Northwestern part of Greece, expanding from the the Greco-Albanian borders in the North to the  Ambrakian Bay in the South and from the mount range of Pindos in the East to the Ionian Sea in the West. The region of Epirus covers aproximately 7% of the Greek territory with a total geographical extent of 9.158 Km².

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While mostly mountaineous, the region of Epirus embraces a wide range of other geological characteristics such as coastal lines, lake basins and rivers with their respective valleys. More precisely, about 70% of the Epirotic grounds are covered by massive mountain bodies, while the rest of said grounds is occupied by small valleys, lakes and a river network of impressive extent. The mountains of Epirus for the most part belong to the Pindus Mountain Range, which was formated 200 million years ago due to the explosive activity of four now-inactive volcanoes that layed under the sea. Pindus is the Southemost branch of the Alpic line and contains Greece's second tallest mountain, Mount Smolikas.

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Epirus, a vast display of different habitats

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Epirus, a vast display of different habitats

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It is only expected of a place of such geological variability to host a number of different habitats. Epirus is well-known for its conifer tree forests (844.185 acres as of 2007), broadleaf tree forests (1.354.091 acres as of 2007), shrubland (1.059.638 acres as of 2007), mixed forests lakes and rivers.

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Greece, and subsequently the region of Epirus are part of the Mediterranean basin hotspot. Epirus  contains three national parks, one lake-region of ecodevelopment, an area of wetlands belonging to the Ramsar goup, 28 Natura 2000 areas, 34 wildlife shelters and two areas especially protected under the Barcelona Convention. The most well-known of these aformentioned areas is the Valia Calda National Park, half of which is shared with the neighboring region of Thessaly.

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Since the dawn of history, human societies have ascribed sacred status to certain places. Areas such as ancestral burial grounds, temples and churchyards have been given protection through taboo and religious belief. As many of these places have been carefully managed for many years an interesting side effect has occurred - the sites often retain more of their natural condition than surrounding areas used for farming or human habitation. As a result, they are often called " sacred natural sites " (SNS).

Today, as many other natural habitats have become degraded, researchers worldwide are increasingly interested in the role of SNS in biodiversity conservation. Most of the world's belief systems, including Christianity, give places sacred status. In Mediterranean Europe, for instance, the grounds of churches - with their associated ancient trees - have become important SNS.

One of the best examples is in the mountainous region of Epirus in north-western Greece. In the municipalities of Zagori and Konitsa almost every village has one or more sacred grove. These places have been protected through religious belief systems for hundreds of years.

The groves are either protective forests that lie uphill from the village, or groups of mature trees surrounding outlying churches, monuments or other works of religious art. Activities such as the cutting of trees or livestock grazing have been either prohibited or strictly regulated in these places (and disobeying these prohibitions sometimes led to excommunication).

Kalliopi Stara, Author provided (No reuse)

Greek investigation

We have recently been studying these Greek SNS as part of our SAGE (SAcred Groves of Epirus) project. Our team wanted to find out, using a rigorous research approach, whether SNS are more biodiverse than other forest areas, and, if so, what lessons conservationists could learn from this.

To do this, our international and multidisciplinary group has recently completed the world's first replicated systematic investigation into the claims that areas conserved as SNS are more biodiverse for different types of plant and animal.

For our recently published study, we selected eight SNS in Epirus that covered a wide range of environmental conditions. Each was closely matched with a nearby non-sacred "control" forest which had been managed conventionally - sometimes through natural regeneration. We then conducted a detailed inventory in each site, of eight different groups of organisms. These ranged from fungi and lichens, through herbaceous and woody plants to nematodes, insects, bats and passerine birds.

We found that SNS do indeed have a small but persistent biodiversity advantage. This is expressed in a number of ways, most clearly through the existence of more distinct communities of species among the sacred groves than in the control sites (this phenomenon is known as beta diversity).

The group with the most notably higher biodiversity in the SNS than in control sites were the fungi. These often grow in dead wood or old trees, which usually get removed in conventionally managed forests. Of the species of passerine birds (a group that includes many songbirds) that are designated as having special conservation importance at a European level, we found twice as many species present in the SNS as in the control sites.

Because these sacred sites are often quite small it is often said that their conservation benefits are marginal. But we found that the influence of size is relatively weak - even small SNS can play a significant role in biodiversity conservation.

Conserving sacred sites

But Epirus's sacred sites are now in peril. The rules that linked belief and conservation that once protected the SNS have become difficult to enforce, due to changing population and land-use. The value of forests which protect from landslides and floods is no longer being recognised.

The value of SNS is not just on the land that is sacred itself, these places can act as a nucleus, around which biodiversity can expand. In Epirus, forests have regenerated around many of the sites we studied over the past 70 years - despite humans farming the land. It should be noted that this can increase risks such as fire, as dense young Mediterranean forest is very flammable.

Evidently the already well-conserved SNS are of great environmental importance across the world. So the next step is to link these sites into conventional conservation schemes. But it is vital that such strategies are closely aligned with the cultural status of SNS. Local communities are often highly motivated to maintain their sacred sites and associated belief systems but lack the resources to do so. A fully collaborative approach between conservation professionals and local communities could offer a solution that conserves both biodiversity and local cultural values.

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Sacred sites have a biodiversity advantage that could help world conservation

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Since the dawn of history, human societies have ascribed sacred status to certain places. Areas such as ancestral burial grounds, temples and churchyards have been given protection through taboo and religious belief.

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Epirus is the home of many species that are either endangered or endemic to this area. Big mammal species like Canis lupus, Cervus elaphus, Canis aureus and Ursus arctos reside within this region along with species of birds such as  N. p. percnopterus, an endagered species of vulture with a population as small as five couples within Greek territory.

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Numerus species of both flora and fauna reside exclusively in this area. Indicatively, only in Mount Grammos, 22 endemic species of plants have been located to date.

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Chorthippus lacustris is an endemic species of Epirus of wich only 5 subpopulations remain. Listed as criticaly endangered by the IUCN, this wetland species of insect is under peril, as its populations is severely fragmented and its occupancy area is extremely narrow (4 Km²).

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Epirus Grasshopper Conservation Case Study | The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

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Epirus grasshopper conservation: linking ecology and genetics and under a conservation perspective

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Commonly known as Tsima to the locals, this endemic species of Lake Pamvotis has suffered a decline of 90% since 1995, most likely due to the introduction of alien species into the lake ecosystem.

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Fish Database | Rettet das blaue Herz Europas

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The Epirus minnow is a small-sized (100 mm SL), lacustrine cyprinid; it lives among shoreline vegetation of Lake Pamvotis, Greece. The species has suffered a 90% decline in abundance since 1995 (Crivelli 2006). Overfishing, predation, pollution, water loss and introduction of invasive species are the major threats (Crivelli 2006d).

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Endemic to Epirus, this species of orchid lasts for years, and sprouts in rocky mountain slops of high altitude, It flowers form July until August. It was named in honor of the Aromanian people, or Vlachs that reside in the nearby villages.

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Efforts to protect the natural abudance of Epirus have been taking place for quite some time. Many areas of interest have been placed under the protection of the Ramsar treaty, the Barcelona Convention or have been marked as Nature 2000 Regions. In such areas, human activities such as woodcutting, grazing, hunting, fishing and access by car are prohibited or limited. Wildlife shelters and administrative organisations have been established in order to help with this cause.

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Despite the conservation efforts, the natural treasures of Epirus are still under threat. Fires caused by cattle breeders in order to ensure grazing ground have stopped since 1960, although grazing still takes place within the core region of protected areas. Habitat fragmentation has put lots of species under threat. Drought of wetlands has caused a decline in the wetland related species populations. An number of hydroelectric plants within the limits of Epirus has wrecked havock upon river and nearby shore and terrestrial ecosystems. Alien species introduced for commercial reasons in the local water bodies has done considerable damage to the lake and river ecosystems. In addition, small coiling producing units performing at the outskirts of the Valia Calda park have caused a lot of concern. Illegal hunting of species such as Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica has caused a significant decline in their population. Another danger that many animals (and especialy brown bears) face in this area is the actual existence if highways in the area: some animals try to cross the roads and often collide with cars, getting killed in the porcess.

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Alien species have been introduced in the Epirotic grounds and waters more than a handful of times. Often by the hand of man, invaders have made their way into the local ecosystems, causing a lot of trouble and affecting the equilibrium. Disasters such as the near extinction of Pelasgus epiroticus have been attributed to invasive species.

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Carassius gibelio, a species well known for its durability has invaded many a freshwater ecosystem throughout Europe, and the Epirotic waters are no exception. Extremely difficult in its handling, it has shifted the ecological equilibrium of Lake Pamvotis making its removal extremely difficult.

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Lepomis gibbosus, or as it is refered to by the locals, "iliopsaro" (sunfish in Greek) made its way into the Greek ecosystems most likely deliberately. Considered to be a tasty fish, it was thought to be a fine addition to the local "lacking" ecosystems. The results were devastating: the pumkinfish is an opportunistic feeder that expands vigorously, feeding on the eggs of other fish and decreasing their reproductive efficiency.

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αρχείο λήψης (1)

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The wolves were brought in because the increased elk population was overgrazing the deciduous, woody species such as aspen and cottonwood

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The BioArea of Epirus contains many predator-predatory relations as essential parts of the functional aspect of the ecosystem. Two prime examples of this are:

Example no ¹: Canis lupus and Sus scrofa
The Sus Scrofa (wild boar) populations have lately increased within the limits of Epirus. Canis lupus (gray wolf) often hunts and kills wild boars, which are part of its diet.
--> predator: Canis lupus (carnivorous)
--> prey: Sus scrofa

Example no ²: Ursus arctos and Oncorhynchus mykiss
Ursus arctos (brown bear) is a species known for its fishing ability. One of the componets its diet is Oncorhynchus mykiss, or the rainbow trout which has been manualy introduced into the rivers of Epirus.
--> predator: Ursus arctos
--> prey: Oncorhynchus mykiss

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Parasites are also a part of the Epirotic ecosystem. Here are presented two exmples of parasites within the limits of this area.

Example no ¹:
Ixodes ricinus: commonly known as the hard tick, this parasite is distributed across Europe and is known to be present in Epirus, out of all of the Greek territoy. It often infects mamalls such as domestic dogs, wolfs, bears and foxes and it is known to often carry the bacteria species Borelia burgdoferi, which is responsible for the onset of Lyme's disease.

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European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

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Ixodes ricinus - current known distribution: June 2018

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The map shows the current known distribution of Ixodes ricinus in Europe at 'regional' administrative level (NUTS3), as of June 2018.

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Example No ²:
Hirudo verbana: A leech species of the Epirotic rivers that latches onto both humans and animals, absorbing blood of up to five times its body volume. It causes large problems to stock-breeders, as it leeches large quantities off of farm animals, often bringing them to their death. In the past, it used to be exploited for medicinal practises.

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Ecological niches
Example no ¹:
Cervus elaphus: Once a widely distributy species of Greece, the red deer survives as merely a few isolated populations throughout the country. In Epirus, the red deer occupies the role of a large herbivore (ruminant), being a 1st order consumer. It feeds on grass, various plants and tree skins, which it often destroys while rubbing against them while trying to change their fur. The red deer resides in forests during the summer and migrates towards higher altitudes during the winter, where food is more abundant. Dominant stags (male specimens) retain harems from 8 up to 10 females. The ecological niche of the red deer in Mount Gramos has been unoccupied for quite some time, leading scintists to consider a possible reintroduction of the species in this area.

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Deer are distributed in almost all of Europe, Northern Africa, most of the mountain ranges of Southern Asia, Siberia, the Far East and Northern America. During the winter, they prefer to live in the forests, whereas during the summer they reach areas with higher altitude where food is bountiful.

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Ecological niches
Example no ²:
Canis aureus:
The golden jackal is a medium sizedl member of the Canidae family that has earned a fearsome reputation in Greece, despite the fact that it rarely causes damage to human settlements and livestock. The golden jackal occupies a broad ecological niche (generalist): it is an opportunistic feeder, with approximately half of his diet consisting of fruit and plants and the other half consisting of goats, sheep, small amphibians, snails, mice, rabbits, insects, bird and carrion. The jackal's preference for carrion has attributed the role of the "ecosystem purifier" to it. The jackal mostly resides in broad shrubblands preferably containing a water resource and less often in forest areas. Its dens are often located in sheltered rocky areas and canyons. Alternatively, it occupies dens of other animals. It is etsimated to occupy a territory from 2 Km² to 15 Km² (insufficient data) and hunts alone or in small packs, mostly during the night.

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It belongs to the canine family and can be found in Europe (mostly the Balkans), in Asia and Africa. It is a small mammal that, despite its ominous reputation, feeds of plants and fruit. The other half of its diet is covered by carrion and small animals such as amphibians, fish, snails, mice, rabbits, insects, birds, but also sheep and goats.

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Niche partitioning
In Epirus two overlapping ecological niches are those of Canis aureus (golden jackal) and A. c. chrysaetos (golden eagle). Both species are opportunistic feeders and often share the same food resources, as A. c. chrysaetos is a carnivorous bird of pray that feeds on hares, rabbits, goats, sheep, deer, amphibians and carrion -food sources that often make up the jackal's diet (see the post right above). However, the two species do not have much of a problem sharing food, as the golden eagle hunts during the day and the jackal hunts predominately during the night. This doesn't mean, however, that the two won't clash if they stimultaneously show interest over the same source of food. In cases where the jackal hunts during the day and is confronted by an eagle, the two might violently clash, whith both parties holding their own ferociously in the battle.

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A Trophic Pyramid of Epirus

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The region of Epirus has long been modified by humans in order to fit their own needs of shelter, food and transportation. Many of these actions have put the Epirotic wildlife at peril throughout the years.

--> Habitat loss: Despite not being an especially densly populated area, Epirus has lost a vast portions of its territorial expanse to cities, arable land and farming land. Acording to the greek comitee of WWF about 369,450 Km² have been converted to arable land from 1987 to 2007. Forests have been choped down to serve the same purpose. Cities have expanded in the last decades and highways have also expanded across Epirus, reducing the natural habitat territories even more. Additionally, wetland drainage has also caused a significan loss of habitat for all water residents, many of whom, such as the Epirus dancing grasshoper have benn driven to the brink of extinction. Habitat loss has put many species, such as the Epirus water frog in danger.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-005-2642-y
http://s3.amazonaws.com/iucnredlist-newcms/staging/species-of-the-day/chorthippus-lacustris/pdfs/original/chorthippus-lacustris.pdf?1466624313

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Like most frogs, Epirus water frogs show sexual dimorphism. Males can grow to 2.9 inches (74 mm) in length, with females growing larger to 3.3 inches (84 mm). The dorsal side is typically green with irregular black spots. The underside is pale. Male vocal sacs are olive aside from mating season, when they can turn a dark gray.

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The construction of the Egnatia and Ionia highways hace severely fragmented the Epirotic landscape. Habitat fragmentation has caused significant problems to many wildlife species who seem to be unable to cope with the challenge of being unable to tresspass human barriers. Many animals such as foxes, brown bears and wolves have died in their effort to cross the highways. Many smaller animals, such as the Epirus dancing grasshoper have become part od the IUCN red list because of the dangers they face due to habitat fragmentation.
https://www.researchgate.net/project/Epirus-grasshopper-conservation-linking-genetics-and-ecology-under-a-conservation-perspective
http://www.catsg.org/balkanlynx/07_library/7_2_publications/Pdfs/Yorgos_2002_Bear_and_Wolf_in_Greece.pdf

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Human activities have inflicted significant damage to the Epirotic habitats, causing their eventual degradation. The disposal of agricaltural and urban waste is water bodies such as Lake Pamvotis and Louros river has caused phenomena such as eutrophism, making the ecosystem quality drop. Hydropower plants constructed in massive rivers sach as Aoos (also found as Vjosa) have caused thermal pollution, while actual river dams (most often connected to hydropower generation) have modofied river quality by withholding sediment upstream, distrupting the natural course of water flow, reducing water quantity downstream and setting up barriers that the fish cannot trespass. The scheduled coal and petrol extraction has also caused a lot of concern among scientists, as it is believed to be a very hazardous activity that will degrade natural habitats even more.
https://balkanrivers.net/en/key-areas/vjosa-river
http://www.biology.upatras.gr/faculty_elections/E.Papastergiadou/%CE%A0%CE%91%CE%A0%CE%91%CE%A3%CE%A4%CE%95%CE%A1%CE%93%CE%99%CE%91%CE%94%CE%9F%CE%A5_PDF_PAPERS_3-6-2013/%CE%94%CE%97%CE%9C%CE%9F%CE%A3%CE%99%CE%95%CE%A5%CE%A3%CE%95%CE%99%CE%A3%20%CE%94%CE%99%CE%95%CE%98%CE%9D%CE%97%20%CE%A0%CE%95%CE%A1%CE%99%CE%9F%CE%94%CE%99%CE%9A%CE%91-%CE%92%CE%99%CE%92%CE%9B%CE%99%CE%91/B.14.pdf

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Hydrocarbon frenzy in Greece - WWF CrisisWatch

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Iconic and ecologically sensitive marine and coastal areas are at serious risk by the ongoing oil and gas exploitation frenzy currently pushed by the...

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Wildlife overexploitation in Epirus for the food industry 

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Wildlife overexploitation in Epirus for the food industry 

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Humans have always relied on wildlife resources for food. In Epirus there have been some examples of overexploitaion when it comes to that matter. The most well-known out of them is the  recent poaching case of the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica): in 2017 five chamois were killed by poacher in order to be solved in gourmet restaurants as high-class meat. Also, the Epirus waterfrog (Pelophylax epeiroticus), a species that has been classified as vulnerable by the IUCN is still collected as the source matterial of local delicacies. Finally, wild mushrooms are often being collected without any regard for their populations sustainability in order to be exported as firts-rate culinary materials.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229429117_Current_status_of_the_Balkan_chamois_Rupicapra_rupicapra_balcanica_in_Greece_Implications_for_conservation

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Wildlife overexploitation in Epirus for traditional medicine

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Wildlife overexploitation in Epirus for traditional medicine

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Epirus is well known for its many medical herbs. Herbs such as mount tea (Sideritis scardica), sage (Salvia officinalis), chamomile (Chamomilla recutita), dittany (Origanum dictamnus) and linden are collected and dried in order to be kept in store. Overexploitation by the locals has begun to lead some of these herbs to a decrease in their population.

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φαρμακευτικά φυτά

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ιατρικά φυτά

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θεραπευτικά βότανα

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φαρμακευτικά βότανα

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φυτικές θεραπείες

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φάρμακα φυτικής προέλευσης

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φυσικά θεραπευτικά βότανα

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επουλωτική δράση φυτών

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φυτικά φάρμακα

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Φαρμακευτικά Φυτά της Ηπείρου. βότανα της Ηπείρου, περιοχής με μεγάλη ποικιλότητα φαρμακευτικών φυτών. φαρμακολογικές ιδιότητες. παρασκευάσματα βοτάνων.σύγχρονη φαρμακευτική χημεία.

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Species of Epirus that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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Species of Epirus that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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Many species of Epirus have been placed into the IUCN Red List according to their conservation status. Some of these species are presented in the posts bellow:

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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 Possible invasions of alien species in Epirus during the last decade

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 Possible invasions of alien species in Epirus during the last decade

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In Epirus, the introduction of invasive species has occured either by accident or by purpose (mostly for commercial reasons). One of the most recent examples is presented in the post bellow:

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This sizeable rodent was introduced for commercial reasons, as a source of fur for the local fur merchants. After escaping from local fur farms, myocastor (or, as it is commonly known, Nutria) found its place among the indegenous species, destroying reed areas in its attempt to feed odd od them. Myocastor is listed among the 100 worst invasive species of all time.

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Hear the story of the large, water-loving rodent that now lives around the world because of demand for its lush fur.

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 Possible signs of climate change in your Epirus

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 Possible signs of climate change in your Epirus

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In the past few years the pattern of percipitations has slightly changed. Heavy snowfall occurs with more frequency and bad weather bouts are more often and a lot heavier. It is currently uncomfirmed wheter these recent changes in weather patterns is a consequence of climate change but they could very well be a sign.

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Gambusia affinis was introduced in Lake Pamvotis in the 1920's as an attempt to control the mosquito population. The mosquitofish is known as one of the worst invasive species of all time, as it feeds on fish eggs decreasing their reproductive efficiency and often attacks local fish, sometimes killing them in the process.

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The western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) is a North American freshwater poeciliid fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply mosquitofish or by its generic name, Gambusia, or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) is also referred to by these names.

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Comparison with https://padlet.com/magda02081996/6oje2eh4h28h
-->Both BioAreas contain extensive woodland and water bodies. Both contain parts of a big Mt Range (Epirus contains Pindus and Thrace Rodopi). Both BioAreas are facing similar hazards (ex river dams and road networks) and they also seem to share species like wolves, jackals, and deers, although Thrace has higher avian biodiversity. Epirus has more invasive fish than Thrace. In conclusion, the two BioAreas are similar in both their biota and abiota.

--> Comparison with https://padlet.com/hellga_g96/mmiqw3o7ioqb

The two BioAreas share the same climate, only Evritania is more mountaneous. It is not as well protected as Epirus but it has high biodiversity. Given the fact that they are neighborhing areas, they share many species (ex golden eagle, the wild boar) and many abiotic characteristics (ex high altitudes, torrential waters). They both face the problem of habitat degradation because of dams and roads.

Comparison with --> https://padlet.com/oleanabloom/Svalbard_NO?fbclid=IwAR0apHO2jCq_JDgLXC9BhNNjeZG1LrE7OQ-N_haFoC7WEpmDoErmi-a572g
These two BioAreas under comparison are vastly different, except for the fact that they are both higly protected. The climate is completely different, being alpine in the one and semi-polar in the other. Both areas harbour BioDiversity but Svaldar posses a much bigger number of sea and terrestrial mammals. Svaldar is much more effectively protected but it also seems to suffer much more due to the effect of climate change.

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I really like your work on the bioarea of Epirus. It has a coherent flow, with all the necessary details to make a good point. The organisation is very good. Your Bioarea looks excellent!

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Vasiliki your BioArea is looking excellent! Good work! Please if you want visit my BioArea and evaluated too! :)

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Vasiliki I really like your BioArea. It seems that Epirus is a very rich region in terms of biodiversity and a really well- studied area. Your information is very well organised and your photos and articles help me understand a lot about Epirus. Your BioArea is looking excellent!

**If you don't mind please check and evaluate my BioArea, too.

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Such a wealth of information on Epirus! I love that you included the fish examples because I feel that a lot of people forget aquatic invasions (at least I did until I read your padlet :P). I also like how well-organised the inforamtion is!
Your BioArea is looking excellent!!