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Giouxtas , the human shaped mountain in Crete

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Mt. Giouhtas is a mountain formed exclusively of limestone. Its rocks are older than those of the broader region. It was formed a million years ago, during the Cretaceous period (145-68 million years ago), while around it lay sediments of the more rcent Pliocene epoch (5.3-1.6 million years ago).
The mountain has an altitude of 811 m. So far there are eleven known caves on Mt. Juktas, of which Chosto Nero and Spelios Stravomyti (Buried Water and Crooked Nose Cave) have been explored and partially mapped.
It is home to several floral species.  Around 360 different plant species have been identified, of which 18 are endemic to Crete and/or Greece. One such example is Dittany (Dictamnus Oreganus) an endemic herb which grows in affluence on the sudden cliffs of the mountain. It is said that people of the nearby village, Archanes, had a good income from its collection and merchandise.  Wood stemmed bushes with small leaves that often have thorns prevail (underbrush), such as thymios (thyme), angarathia (Jerusalem sage), astoivida (Sarcopoterium spinosum), and chinopodi (type of fleawort). Locally there are deciduous, flat-leafed species, such as Kermes Oak and the carob tree, which in some places are small trees. Numerous herbs appear after the first rains and turn Mt. Juktas turns green by springtime. Several species grow on steep slopes, such as chasmophytes, which are unique and have not been affected by the human presence. Among them is the Cretan white ebenus (Ebenus cretica).
As far as the fauna is concerned, the number of invertebrates comes to several hundreds, many of them endemic. Snails, millipedes, spiders, herbivorous, carnivorous and carrion-feeding insects can be found everywhere, even in the depths of caves. Amphibians have been sited mainly at the foot of the mountain and include the yellow bellied toad and the common tree frog. Reptiles are represented by a type of lizard (Lacerta trilineata) and two species of harmless snake, the ‘spitofido’ (house-snake, Zamenis situla), which is called ‘ochentra’ on Crete and it is not related to the adder, whose name is very similar in Greek, as well as ‘gatofido’ (cat snake, Telescopus fallax).  There are a total of eight mammal species, three of which are insectivores (a bat, Hipposideros rhinolophus, a mole, the Cretan shrew, Crocidura zimmermanni, the hedgehog) and three rodents (the house mouse, Mus domesticus, the rock mouse, Apodemus mystacinus and the rat), a type of hare, three carnivores (the European badger, Meles-meles arcalus, the Cretan Beech Marten, Martes foina-bunites and the Cretan least weasel (Mustela nivalis galinthias).  Forty bird species have been spotted and  there are also other rare and/or endangered species, such as the falcons ‘petritis’ (Falco peregrinus) and ‘mavropetritis’ (Falco eleonorae).
In addition the mountain offers a great refuge to vultures which find it as an ideal hide out. Conservation teams and environmentalists ensure that there is a balanced colony on the hillsides by bringing them food and observing them regularly. Stories of surrounding villages narrate that locals would bring heavily wounded and incapable to work animals on the mountain in order for the birds to feast, and so ensuring they would not try and find food in populated areas.
This territory has been included in the European Union list of CORINE BIOTOPES, the important biotopes to be conserved in Europe, while it is also included in the ΝAΤURA 2000 Network, under Code No: GR 4310002 “Mt. Juktas-Agia Eirini Gorge” for"the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora” and it is considered an Important Bird Area (IBA) of the European Union. It is also protected as an Archaeological Site’ and as a ‘Landscape of Exceptional Natural Beauty’.
Unfortunately there have been noticed various violations of the restrictions of the Natura regimen, by various local sheperds.

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The blue pins show the spring of the mountain. One of them provides water to Heraklio, the nearestcity

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Archanes village seen from Mountain Giouhtas

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Vulture liberation by the Museum Of Natural Sciences Of Crete at Mountain Giouhtas

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two examples of animals with a predator-prey relation:
The ferret (Mustela nivalis) (- mice are their prey)
the barn owl (Tyto alba erlangeri) (- mice are their prey)

●      two parasitic organisms;
mosquito (parasitic to humans)
tick (parasitic to dogs)
●      the ecological niche of two characteristic animals;

1. At the hillsides of Mountain Giouxtas, in Crete,  the griffon  vultures eat the intestines of the dead animals helping to keep a healthy environment.

2. where rural areas meet light urban ones, owls help regulate the number of rodents

●      two organisms that share the same food (niche partitioning) and the way that they manage it;

the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and the griffon vulture may share the same niche as they don't eat the same part οf a carcass; The first eat the bones while the others eat the intestinεs

●      based on the simplified trophic pyramid found in slide 6 of the resource topic 2.1 'Relationship of organisms in ecosystems', make an analogous one with plants and animals from your own BioArea.

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According to a survey of the University of Crete made by the Department of Biology and the biologists Legakis and Paragamian the year 1991, some changes had occurred with consequences on the number of fauna and flora species.
For example at the year 1991 the fact that the traditional act of "Azati" ( to leave the sick and dead animals at Giouhtas for the vultures to eat)  was greatly abandoned, led to a decline of the number of vultures. The museum of Natural Sciences of Crete was concerned and tried to deal with the fact.
At the same survey the problem of grazing was also mentioned. After so many years and despite the protection regime of the mountain, the visitor can find many traces of the existence of sheep and goats. The animals still eat the mountain vegetation, even the endemic plants,  although there have been efforts to isolated certain spots by fences.
Also the fires that took place at the mountain (since 1969 until 2003) due to shepherds' arson actions or the garbage dump accidents degraded the soil fertility (due to air and water erosion) and the fauna. Reforestation efforts included alien species (Robinia Pseudoacacia, pinus brutia) with consequences to the local plant population. Fortunately after the last fire on 2003 the municipality decided the ecological restoration of the dump at Giouhtas and the transfer of the village garbage in other location
In 2004 a big fast ring road was constructed around Archanes and fragmented the habitat of Giouhtas and the wider rural habitat, who where united.
Wildlife over-exploitation
People traditionally collected plants as oregano and dictamus from the mountain. The last was over-collected and it was finally limited at the sudden clifs. The recent days it is also cultivated but still it hasn't recovered the older numbers on the mountain.
Species that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
There are rare and/or endangered species, such as the falcons ‘petritis’ (Falco peregrinus) and ‘mavropetritis’ (Falco eleonorae).
Possible signs of climate change in the area could be described  since after a very long drought (during the last 2 years),  we now face fierce hale storms that are very uncommon.

The endemic species of Giouhtas

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Grey wolves problematic in Yellowstone National ParkThe wolves were brought into the National Park because of  elk overpopulation. This happened by a time when Ecology was not very well founded as a science yet. The yellow stone incident helped a lot towards a better understanding of ecological relationships. It is highly disappointing how easily people in power make serious decisions based on cultural, economic and anthropocentric criteria in general, not paying attention on how nature is functioning. 

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Grey wolves problematic in Yellowstone National ParkThe wolves were brought into the National Park because of  elk overpopulation. This happened by a time when Ecology was not very well founded as a science yet. The yellow stone incident helped a lot towards a better understanding of ecological relationships. It is highly disappointing how easily people in power make serious decisions based on cultural, economic and anthropocentric criteria in general, not paying attention on how nature is functioning. 

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In comparison,  the Mónica Pinto BioArea PT and mine are both under protection regime due to their unique characteristics. Of course there are different climate conditions and the natural park in Portugal is wetter and colder so the Fauna and the flora are mainly different. I have the impression it has higher biodiversity than my bioarea.

In comparison, Molnár Ágnes's BioArea HU  and mine are both under protection regime due to their unique characteristics. But the arid mountain of Giouhtas with the small number of Pines and cypresses has little to do with the forests of the Carpathian Basin. Also the big mammals as foxes and roe deers do not exist on the island of Crete. There are some birds of prey that are in common but the landscape is very different! Improper plantation, collection of plants and overgrazing are factors of degradation in my bioarea as well as in the Carpathian mountains but , there, there are also many more

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