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BioArea Evaluation (Niki, Svalbard BioArea, NO)

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BioArea Evaluation (Niki, Svalbard BioArea, NO)

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I am literally impressed by  the amount of information you are presenting about Thraki!
It really looks like such an interesting area regarding biodiversity!
Your BioArea is looking excellent!

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I really like this kind of organisation! The content of each assignment is also excellent! The videos and Gifs were really cool!!!
Your BioArea is looking excellent!

*If you wish you can check and evaluate my BioArea, too!

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I love the diversity of information that you have presented! You helped me learn a lot about species of your area and their respective niches! I also like the way you have organised your info (beautiful diagram style, easy to follow through!) Your BioArea is looking excellent! Would you mind evaluating mine as well?

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Comparison between my BioArea (Thrace) with the Vasiliki Sfairopoulou's BioArea (Epirus)

1. Two of the biggest Greek Mountain Ranges are located in these bioareas (part of Pindus is located in Epirus and part of Rodopi in Thrace)

2. Both of them contain many aquatic ecosystems, such as lagoons, lakes and rivers, with flora and fauna that corresponds to these ecosystems.

3. They have many species in common, like wolves, jackals, deers and bird species, although in Thrace there is a greater diversity of migratory birds thanEpirus

4.  Both regions are facing similar threats and hazards, like river dams, road networks and destruction of the environment

Comparison between my BioArea (Thrace) with the Olga Grizi's BioArea (Evritania)

Geomorphology of Evritania is characterized by numerous mountains and deep gorges, whereas Thrace contains a mountain range to the north, but has many coasts and plains souther.

Both these bioareas have a great biodiversity of flora and fauna, including firs (mostly the Bulgarian fir), wild boars, otters, deers, tortoises, eagles and vultures.

They both face the problem of habitat degradation, because of dams and roads.

Last but not least, both of these bioareas are included to Natura 2000 network, due to the protected areas they contain.

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Greece - Air temperature changes until now

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Greece - Air temperature changes until now

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In the middle of the ’50s a cooling period started in northern Greece and progressively extended also in the southern regions of the country. The lowest average annual temperatures in Greece occurred in the decade of 1970 up to the beginning of 1980, due mainly to the very cold summers and autumns. However, during the last years of the ’90s, a progressive increase of temperature was observed. This seems to be due to a more intensive warming during the summer period.
In Greece, the frequency of heat waves in the ’90s was about three times higher than the one of the three previous decades.

https://www.climatechangepost.com/greece/climate-change/

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The Ground Squirrel in Greece is distributed in 3 clearly defined and probably isolated sub-populations, in western Macedonia, in central Macedonia and in Thrace.

The species is considered Vulnerable.  Main threats include agriculture, including the abandonment of specific agriculture practices, management changes in non-agriculture areas and the development of infrastructures, such as roads and industrial complexes. There is also an increased mortality due to collisions with cars but also due to predation by dogs and cats.

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During the last decades the Red Deer in Greece has suffered a dramatic decrease in numbers and distribution.  Γradually it was restricted only to the regions of Macedonia and Thrace and now only a remnant population of 20-30 individuals survives in the Rodopi Mountains, at the Greek-Bulgarian border.

The Red Deer in Greece is threatened by poaching, habitat deterioration and disturbance due to infrastructures. Given its extremely low population it has been classified as Critically Endangered species for Greece.

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The Thisavros Dam is a rock-fill dam on the Nestos River in the regional unit of Drama in the northeastern portion of Greece. The 172-metre (564 ft) high dam is the tallest in Greece. It was constructed between 1986 and 1996.

However, a significant and obvious impact of large dams is (among others) the transformation upstream of the dam from a free-flowing river ecosystem to an artificial slack-water reservoir habitat. Changes in temperature, chemical composition, dissolved oxygen levels and the physical properties of a reservoir are often not suitable to the aquatic plants and animals that evolved with a given river system.

The climate of the area was continental with cold winters and hot summers. However, since the Thisavros Dam was structured, the climate became more wet and humid during the winter and the temperature becaume hotter during summer.

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Mehely's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi)

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Mehely's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi)

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Mehely's Horseshoe Bat is the least common rhinolophid in Greece. Here it is classified as Vulnerable, as it has been located only in a few sites in Macedonia, Thrace, Sterea Ellada, Peloponnese, and the islands of Lesvos and Kos.

The species is considered Vulnerable. Mostly, it is affected by disturbance and loss of underground habitats and adequate hunting grounds, changes in foraging habitats due to agriculture, urbanization and fires, and destruction of caves by tourism.

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Impact on birdlife and its habitats from road construction.

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Impact on birdlife and its habitats from road construction.

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The impacts of roads on the birdlife include:

habitat loss and degradation,

isolation and fragmentation of habitats,

direct killing

creation of new habitats

ecotones and communication corridors

chemical emission

noise and lights

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The white stork, one of the most characteristic figures among birds in Thrace, comes the spring to nest on buildings, pillars or on purpose-built man-made platforms, migrating from Africa once a year.

The species is threatened by the alteration of its habitats, mainly by draining wet meadows, flood defense works (dams, dykes, pumping stations and river drainage systems), the conversion of feed areas, the development, industrialization and intensification of agriculture.

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Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation in Thrace

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Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation in Thrace

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

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

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Myocastor coypus is an aquatic rodent, native to South America, and moved to North America, Europe and Asia to exploit its fur. However, some individuals who escaped or were released from the farms managed to successfully settle in the natural environment (rivers and wetlands) of the new areas, disturbing the balance of ecosystems and degrading the economic and environmental value of the areas in which they appear.

The impact of its presence on wetlands, through its diet with aquatic vegetation and plant roots, may be negative for plant communities, possibly resulting in the erosion of coastal habitats of other animals. Also, Myocastor has been observed to be fed with eggs of waddling birds found in their nests.

Myocastor is considered to be a harmful species for the economy as well, as it feeds on agricultural crops causing damage to crops. Also, with the burrows that open near irrigation systems, drainage works and rivers and lakes, it causes instability on the ground.

For the above reasons, Myocastor ranks among the 100 worst invasive alien species in Europe. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to take measures to manage and eradicate the population of Myocastor.

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Blue crab is native to the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod to Argentina and around the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It has been introduced (via ballast water) to Japanese and European waters. The first record from Greek waters was made in 1951 and until today it has conquered the Greek seas.

Lagoons and coastal areas of Macedonia and Thrace are eutrophic, since there flow all big rivers. So there is plenty of phytoplankton and zooplankton, while the delta of the rivers are rich in organic matter and so the blue crab finds abundant food.

C. sapidus is an omnivore, eating both plants and animals and typically consumes thin-shelled bivalves, annelids, small fish, plants and nearly any other item it can find, including carrion, other C. sapidus individuals, and animal waste.

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THEME 3. Threats to biodiversity in a changing climate - Step 3. Create

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THEME 3. Threats to biodiversity in a changing climate - Step 3. Create

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2 examples:

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The golden jackal is both a predator and a scavenger. The jackal will scavenge off the kills made by the lion, tiger, leopard, dhole, and gray wolf.

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The griffon vulture is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals which it finds by soaring over open areas, often moving in flocks.

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Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica)

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Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica)

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It is an important species for conservation in Greece, protected by both National and European legislation. It is alse listed in the Red Book of Threatened Species in Greece as "Near Threatened".Poaching is considered to be the major threat to this species.

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2 organisms that share the same food and the way that they manage it:

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2 examples:

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These two species share the same habitat and the same resourse of food: aquatic ecosystems and laggons eating mostly fish. They manage to feed without interacting with each other is because they fish in different water levels. Great cormorant fish in deeper water, whereas Pygmy cormorant exclusively in shallow water.

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 Pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus)

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 Pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus)

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The diet is primarily fish, though small mammals, crustaceans, leeches and large insects are occasionally taken. Pygmy Cormorants feed exclusively in shallow water.

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Phalacrocorax pygmeus - Pygmy Cormorant - Малък корморан

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Large blue caterpillars is a species of butterfly, which is an ant mimic and social parasite. They are able to trick the ants into taking them back to the ant nest. Once there, the caterpillar will either become a predator of the ant larvae, or beg for food by acting like an ant larva in what is known as a "cuckoo" strategy

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Great (black) cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

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Great (black) cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

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The great cormorant feeds on fish caught through diving. This cormorant forages by diving and capturing its prey in its beak.The duration of its dives is around 28 seconds, with the bird diving to depths of about 5.8 metres (19 ft). About 60% of dives are to the benthic zone and about 10% are to the pelagic zone, with the rest of the dives being to zones in between the two.

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A biting fly. It is blood-feeding ectoparasites of primarily horses aand other large mammals like cattles

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2 examples:

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4 questions

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In the Straits of Nestos there are two species that are considered important and need protection: the Greek (or common) tortoise (Testudo graeca) and Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni).
These two are both protected species by the Council Directive 92/43/EEC and especially Greek tortoise is considered in IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable

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is a nonvenomous snake found in Eastern Eyrope (and in Thrace). It grows up to 260 cm (8' 6") in length but the medium is 120 to 160 cm. It is one of the largest European snakes.

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It is a non-venomous species and one of the largest of the European snakes.

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Western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

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Western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

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Καλαμόκιρκος .Western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

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Grey Heron and Black Stork in Nestos Gorge

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Grey Heron and Black Stork in Nestos Gorge

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Grey Heron and Black Stork in Nestos Gorge

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Some or the most well known habitants of the area are bears, wolves, wild goats, deer, jackals, wild hogs, foxes, wild cats, wild chicken, harrier eagle, trout, wild horses etc.
In the area you can also see different kinds of flora such as red spruce, birch, pine trees, Macedonian pine tree, bushes like bilberry, blackberry, raspberry and plants suck as orchids and the famous Rodopi lily.

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Rodopi Mountain Range National Park (RMRNP)

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Rodopi Mountain Range National Park (RMRNP)

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It was characterized as “National Park”, because of the plethora of the flora and fauna species listed on the Annexes III, IV and V of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC

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Greece: Rodopi Mountain Range National Park ~ Vangelis: Mythodea ~ Movement IX

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The protected areas of wetlands D. Nestos, Av. Vistonida, Av. Ismarida and the wider region are included in the National Park of East Macedonia-Thrace, as defined in 2008 by the Common Minister Decision, by land and water total area of ​​over 930,000 acres.

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Εθνικό Πάρκο Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης

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Εθνικό Πάρκο Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας-Θράκης

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Ένα 5΄ βίντεο για την περιοχή του Εθνικού Πάρκου, τις δράσεις και τα προγράμματα του Φορέα Διαχείρισης Δέλτα Νέστου-Βιστωνίδας-Ισμαρίδας

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European (also known as silver) birch (Betula pendula)

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European (also known as silver) birch (Betula pendula)

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Between the aforementioned, we can also distinguish forests of the north european birch, a species that is rare for Greek region.

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Quercus pubescens and Q. frainetto to 800 m., Q. petraea to 1200 m.

There Dadia Forest Reserve National Park, one of the most important protected areas at national, European and international scale. It is one of the first areas in Greece to be declared as protected since a great deal of flora and fauna species found in the Balkan Peninsula, Europe and Asia coexist here. The National Park also hosts three out of the four Vulture species of Europe (the Black Vulture, the Griffon Vulture and the Egyptian Vulture, but the last possibly not anymore).

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Some important species that can be found in Delta of Nestos

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Some important species that can be found in Delta of Nestos

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Petrified forest of Evros
It is a beautiful forest near Lefkimi and Tehero villages, 20 km away from the known silk productive Soufli village, in the very North East of Greece, near the border with Turkey. Here you can see some findings even of palms and other exotic trees, since there was a rainforest at this region 50 million years ago.

The exhistance of the Petrified forest indicates the exhistance of a nearby volcano, whose lava upon detonation covered the logs and left this result, although the opinions of experts as to the existence of a volcano in the region are divided.

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Απολιθωμένο Δάσος Λευκίμης!

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Rodopi comprises its southest spread limit and the only area of its presence in Greece.

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Eurasian (common) otter is a semiaquatic mammal, strongly territorial and has a diet mainly of fish. During the winter and in colder environments, though, fish consumption is significantly lower, and the otters use other sources of food, including amphibians, crustaceans, insects, even small mammals.
In Greece, the Eurasian otter is considered as "Near Threatened",  due to pollution from pesticides, habitat loss and hunting.

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The golden jackal is similar to the gray wolf, but is distinguished by its smaller size and lighter weight.
They exhibit flexible social organization depending on the availability of food, with the breeding pair to be the basic social unit. are monogamous and will remain with the one partner until death.
The golden jackal is both a predator and a scavengerand an omnivorous and opportunistic forager with a diet that varies according to its habitat and the season and it consist of rodents, birds, reptiles and fruits, but it will also scavenge off the kills made by other preditors.
Jackals are abundant in valleys and along rivers and their tributaries, canals, lakes, and seashores, but are rare in foothills and low mountains.
In Greece, golden jackals' status is characterised as "Least Concern".

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The lesser kestrel is a small falcon. It is a small bird of prey, smaller and more delicate bird than the common kestrel, and it is entirely sympatric in its breeding range with it. It eats insects, small birds, reptiles and rodents, which are often taken on the ground. It nests colonially on buildings, cliffs, or in tree holes. Although it is widespread and plentiful on a global scale, in Greece it has been classed as "Vulnerable".

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Some important species that can be found in Vistonida lake

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Some important species that can be found in Vistonida lake

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Small stiff-tailed duck some 45 cm long. The male has a white head with black crown, a blue bill, and reddish-grey plumage. The female has a dark bill and rather duller colouring. It is concidaret to be one of the rarest bird species in the world, with a population of no more than 13,000 individuals worldwide. Populations are declining, mostly due to loss of habitat and pollution, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird's status as "endangered", mostly due to habitat loss and hunting.

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Lake Vistonida is the fourth largest of Greece (45 km²). It encompasses a unique ecosystem and the local climate can be described as mid-Mediterranean.
It hosts a variety of fauna, which comprise several types of fish (37 species), amphibians (11 sp.), reptiles (19 sp.), mammals (20 sp.), as well as flora. More than 300 bird species have been observed and the area is famous for the unique Heron habitat, which has been created across Porto Lagos. Moreover, rare bird species come here every year to overwinter, for example red-breasted goose, white-headed duck, ferruginous duck, white-tailed eagle, etc
Vistonida Lake with the Nestos Delta has been included in the Ramsar Convention, and in the European Network (NATURA) 2000 as special protection areas.

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The Nestos is the natural border between Macedonia and Thrace. It springs from Bulgaria and has a total length of 234km, from which the 130km are on Greek soil.  It is one of the 5 biggest rivers in Greece.
The point where the river meets the sea (the famous Delta of Nestos) is a place of intense interest for naturalists, because there is rich flora and fauna at the Delta’s various habitats, and the variety and rarity of the species cannot be found anywhere else. The Delta of Nestos has been acclaimed a Wetland of International Significance, and is protected by the Ramsar Convention.
The natural beauty of the Strait of Nestos (Nestos Passage) is also amazing, because of the mountains’ strange formations, the winding river, the rich vegetation and the singing of the 254 different bird species which are found there.
Moreover, someone can engage in this majestic scenery through many different activities, such as canoe-kayak, archery, mountain biking, trekking, bird watching etc.
Conservation issues:

The main threats include the expansion of marble quarries, road building, hunting and uncontrolled tourism development. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.

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In the north mountainous part of the Prefectures of Drama and Xanthi, covering an area of 1.732 km², constitutes the Protected Area of Rodopi Mountains. Almost 60% of Europe's flora species are found in Rodopi, which is a refuge for 211 rare or endangered species. Fifteen of these are remnants of the ice age and 50 Rodopi endemics. As for flora, from the 1121 plant species that exist today in Rodopi, at least 7 are local endemic, such as the famous Lilium rhodopaeum, the yellow lillium of Rodopi. Ten more species are Greek endemic and 80 more are Balkan endemic. Rodopi hav more than 15 wildlife shelters and many of those are protected by UNESCO.

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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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Thrace (in particular West Thrace) is a geographic region of North Greece, between the Nestos and Evros rivers and is bounded by the Rodopi Mountain Range to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south. Thrace covers 6% of the Greek region and alternates between mountain-enclosed basins of varying size and deeply cut river valleys. And this is the reason for the high biological diversity Thrace presents.

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Griffon Vultures Depend on the Sun to Fly. Why?