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Voras Mountain is located along the border of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). It covers an area of 53,589 ha, with altitudes ranging from 200 m to 2524 m.

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The Conservation Values of the Mountain-The Forest and Other Vegetation

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The Conservation Values of the Mountain-The Forest and Other Vegetation

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More than 95% of the mountain is covered by natural ecosystems. Forests and partially forested areas represent 62.2%, and grasslands and bushlands 32.9% of the total area.
As a result of the large difference in altitudes, four vegetation zones are present, out of the five found in Greece, and there are 1400 plant species.

The most common forest species, from low to high altitudes are shown in Table 1. Single trees and stands of the rare species Pinus peuce Griseb. are found at higher elevations. Beech forests that mainly form the timberline cover most of the area. Above the timberline are extensive sub-alpine grasslands, with scattered low bushes of

Juniperus nana Wild,

Daphne oleoides Schreb.,

Rosa pendulina L.,

Bruckenthalia spiculifolia (Salisb.) Reichemb., and

Acantholimum echinus (Boiss.).

From the phytosociological and conservation points of view, the sub-alpine flora of the mountain is very important because of the presence of many endemic species of the central and northern Balkan peninsula.

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Gentianella bulgarica (Velen) J. Holub, a palaeoendemic of the Balkan peninsula unknown in Greece until 1975

Eriophorum angustifolium Roth,

Drosera intermedia Hayne (insectivorous species) (Photo 1)

Sphagnum palustre L

Sphagnum subsecundum Neess

Other species found in the area, such as

Ranunculus myrtinervius Griseb. subsp. caespitosus,

Ranunculus cacuminis Strid & Papanicolaou, and

Dianthus myrtinervius Griseb. subsp. caespitosus Strid & Papanicolaou have been described as new in Greece.

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The main mammal species are shown in Table 2. During the last  years there has been an increase in the population of Capreolus capreolus L. Two rather rare mammals are Rupicapra rupicapra L. and Ursus arctos L

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In the area, seven habitats for avifauna have been distinguished, based on the kind and structure of vegetation, the altitude, the topography and past and recent human activities .

Mount Voras is very important because of its 119 bird species, of which 105 are nesting. Twenty-eight bird species are referred to in Annex I of EU 79/409 Directive, 39 are species of European Conservation Concern, and 15 are included in the Red Data Book of Endangered Vertebrates of Greece. Mount Voras forms a representative, extensive, and uninterrupted forest ecosystem for the avifauna and is an important area for bird species with a limited presence in Greece.

Such species include

Bonasa bonasia,

Cyprus pygargus,

Turdus pilaris (nesting),

Falco cherrug.

Moreover,

Aquila pomarina,

Accipiter brevipes, and

Ficedula semitorquata, species with a limited presence in Europe, are found here.

Mount Voras hosts 19 species of birds of prey (11 nesting) and 9 species of woodpeckers.
Due to its great ornithological importance, the entire area has been included in the EU Network of Special Protection Areas, in accordance with Directive 79/409.

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Mount Voras is covered by natural ecosystems comprising forests and sub-alpine grasslands.

In the foothills are 18 communities with a population of 15,460. Until 1989, the main land use was forestry and sheep grazing. There is a high biodiversity of flora, represented by 1400 species, including many indigenous of the Balkan Peninsula.

Most of the area (80%) belongs to the state, 11% belongs to local communities, and the rest is private. The management authority is the Forest Service, with local Forest Directorates and District Forest offices. Forest exploitation is carried out by local workers’ cooperatives and the annual timber production, according to data from the Forest Directorate of Pella  amounts to 110,000 m3.

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Land Use Activities and possible threats

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Land Use Activities and possible threats

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In the foothills of the mountain are 18 small communities with a total population of 15,460 inhabitants.
The whole area is within their administrative boundaries.
The main use of land since the liberation of this part of the country in 1912 has been forestry and sheep grazing
during the summer in sub-alpine grasslands.
One of the most common activities in the area is
hunting, regulated by ministerial resolution. Hare and boar are the most popular hunted big game species,
whereas partridges, Alectoris graeca, and Perdix perdix, are
the most hunted bird species. Nothing can be said about the effects of hunting on game and other species because of the lack of relevant research. The basis for setting hunting regulations to now has been the information on the population of the game species gathered every year by the local forest authorities.
The most promoted actions to now are those directed
toward tourism development of the area, and the
prospects for the tourist industry seem encouraging.
On the other hand, the mountain has been included in
the EU Network of Special Protection Areas, and there
is need to regulate existing and potential land use to
prevent deterioration of fragile ecosystems. This justifies the initiation of conservation actions in the area, in addition to those taken in the existing designated areas
(game reserves and natural monuments), and to those
provided for in the forest management plans.

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The ecological value of the mountain was confirmed
very early by the Forest Service, which designated four
protected areas, two permanent game reserves (in 1976 and 1982) with a total area of 8575 ha and two natural
monuments (in 1980 and 1986) covering an area of 69.3
ha. The natural monuments have the status of strict
nature reserves.
The objects of protection are a section of virgin forest of Fagus silvatica L. and a mixed forest of conifers and broad-leaved species, including Pinus peuce Griseb.
This species is found only in two places in Greece, and it is strictly protected by special legislation only in this area.