Olympos has been included in the NATURA 2000 Network as a Special Conservation Area and a Special Protection Area for Birds with code GR1250001, in accordance with the Habitats Directive 92/43 / EEC and Directive 2009/147 / EC for wild birds. Numerous species of flora and fauna are included in the Annexes to the above Directives and are protected through them. Other species are protected by national law by Presidential Decree 69/1981 and by international law through the Berne and Bonn Conventions, respectively. Important parts of the Wildlife Refugees included within the National Park also provide important protection for the conservation of fauna. Also, parts of the Olympos National Park have been characterized as Landscapes of Special Natural Beauty.

Small trees, shrubs or herbs. Stems with large pith. Leaves pinnate, deciduous, stipulate or exstipulate. Flowers (3-)5-merous, small, actinomorphic, in cymose corymbs or panicles. Calyx 5-lobed. Corolla rotate. Stamens 5. Stigma sessile, 3- to 5-lobed. Ovary 3- to 5-locular. Fruit a drupe with 3-5 compressed, cartilaginous pyrenes.

Morphological characteristics of Sanbucus nigra.

Shrub or small tree up to 10m. with brownish-grey, sulcate, corky bark and whitish pith. Stems often with vigorous, erect shoots from base; branches often arching. Leaflets 5-7(-9), 4·5-12(-18) × 2-6(-10)cm, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-elliptical, acuminate, serrate, sparsely pubescent beneath. Stipules absent or very small, subulate. Inflorescence 10-24cm in diameter, corymbose, with (4-)5 primary rays. Corolla white. Anthers yellowish-white. Fruit globose, black (very rarely red).

Information about Sambucus nigra and its medicinal traits.

A rich folk tradition accompanies this plant, often described as a complete pharmacy because of its countless therapeutic and prophylactic features. In the 17th century, it was a popular medicine to cleanse the phlegm, and as an expectorant for cough and as a diuretic and violent laxative. Flower distillate was launched in the 18th century for its ability to whiten the skin and eradicate the freckles.
Flowers
They are anti-reflux and encourage sweating, so they are ideal for feverish fever and flu. They also help in allergic fever if they are taken condom to strengthen the upper respiratory system early, before pollen levels rise in the atmosphere. Locally they are anti-inflammatory and are used for skin creams and for snowballs. The collection takes place early in the summer.
Seeds
Mature fruits are rich in vitamin C and A. Previously, when there were no winter fruits, they made the fruits of wines and syrups to prevent colds. The collection is done in the autumn.
Bark
The bark is an effective stimulant of the liver and in the past it was taken for persistent constipation and for arthritic. Today it is rarely used.

Cold ice and frost are major causes of plant damage, especially with regard to sensitive plant groups, although resistant plants can also suffer if new growth is exposed to intense frost after a period of warmer weather. Symptoms often occur during the night and can affect many types of plants. Leaves and stems may become black and the flowers may become discolored. Some flowers that have suffered the adverse effects of a frost can not produce fruit.

Very high temperatures can cause damage to plants directly, but it is usually caused damage due to increased water loss and drought intensity of plants. Plants can also burn because of sunburn when shaded foliage is exposed to sunlight during warm, dry periods. When temperatures are extremely high, plants must pump water from the roots to the leaves and stems. This water then exits the plant through the mouths during the process of transpiration. Transpiration cools the leaves and other parts of the plant and prevents damage from thermal stress. However, if there is not enough water for this process, the plant will sacrifice some of the surface of its leaf, allowing it to burn.

An excess of sodium chloride or other salts in the soil threatens plants for two reasons. First, by reducing the water potential of the substrate, salt can cause water deficiency in plants, although there is enough water in the soil. As the water potential of the substrate becomes more negative, the slope of the water potential from the substrate to the roots decreases, thus reducing water intake. Another problem with saline substrates is that sodium and certain other ions become toxic to plants when their concentrations are so high as to flood the selective permeability of the root membranes. In other words, the plant is unable to selectively absorb the right nutrients and only the sodium is absorbed by the plant. Many plant species can respond to moderate substrate salinity by producing dissolved substances that are well tolerated at high concentrations. If stress due to salinity lasts a long time, the plant will eventually succumb.

The main problem in the case of stress due to excessive moisture is the lack of oxygen. This causes many in plant species to produce ethylene, which also causes the death of the root system (root system apoptosis-programmed cell death). Destruction of these cells creates air tubes, which can be filled with air from the parts of the plant above the ground. In this way, the roots can receive the necessary oxygen even when the soil is still too moist to contain enough air.

During very hot and dry days, plants can wither because the rate of water loss through perspiration exceeds the rate at which the root system absorbs water from the ground. In other words, there is not enough moisture in the soil, which can greatly inhibit plant growth. However, plants have control systems that allow them to deal with water shortages. The mechanisms of plant defense against drought conditions are essentially a reduction in the rate of perspiration. The lack of water in the leaves leads to a slowing of perspiration by closing the mouths. The lack of water also stimulates the synthesis and release of the abzic acid in the leaves. This hormone helps keep the mouths closed. The leaves respond to lack of water in a number of other ways. The leaves of many plant species are tube-shaped, which reduces perspiration by reducing the surface area of ​​the sheet exposed to dry air and wind. Although this leaf response keeps the water, it also reduces photosynthesis.

Cosmos was considered to be both a scientific and literary achievement, immensely popular among nineteenth-century readers. Although the book bore the daunting subtitle of A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe, and had an index that ran to more than 1,000 pages, the first volume sold out in two months, the work was translated into all major languages and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Humboldt's publisher claimed: "The demand is epoch-making. Book parcels destined for London and St. Petersburg were torn out of our hands by agents who wanted their orders filled for the bookstores in Vienna and Hamburg." Cosmos largely enhanced Humboldt's reputation in his own lifetime, not only in his own country but throughout Europe and America. Its enthusiastic reception in England, where it came out in the Bohn Scientific Library in a translation by Elizabeth Leeves, particularly surprised him. The reviews were gushing in praise of both the author and his work.Cosmos influenced several American authors

Greece's wealth is inseparably linked to its climatic conditions. The hot dry summer climate combined with the thousands of miles of coastlines magnetize tourists from all over the world. Hot summers, combined with mild winters, favor the development of agriculture as an integral part of the economy. Under the same climatic conditions, thousands of hectares of forests cover the country and harbor a great biodiversity. Today, this natural wealth is under great pressure due to population growth and unpredictable growth. Global warming will still cause great pressure in our country. A UN study shows that Greece as well as the entire Mediterranean is among the 18 hot spots on the planet, which will face the biggest problems due to the increasing climate change.

WWF Hellas research, in collaboration with the National Observatory of Athens, titled "Tomorrow Greece", attempts to predict the climatic conditions in Greece in 2020-2050, almost tomorrow.

According to the results of the survey, the existing discomfort of urban residents is going to be intensified. Residents of cities such as Thessaloniki, Patras, Lamia and Larissa will be subjected to up to 20 more heatwave days. At the same time, in Lamia, Larisa, Volos, Thessaloniki and Athens, the total rainfall will decrease, but the extreme rainfall is expected to increase by 10-20%. In other words, the risk of both flooding and fire spreading in forests is increasing.

Importantly, the tourist destinations of our country will also be affected. From 5 to 15 more days will be the hot days in the tourist prefectures, while the nights will be higher, as the temperature will not fall below 20oC, especially in the island regions like Rhodes and Chania.

The country's ten largest rural counties will also be under pressure from climate change, leading to increased heat days, consecutive days without rain, reducing winter rainfall and hence greatly increasing the risk of fire. For example, more than 25 more dry days are expected in Evia than today, Serres and Larissa will live 20 more hot days, while in Heraklion and Pella the rainfall in winter will drop by 15%. There is also an increased risk of desertification of new land and a decrease in water availability.

Climate change is expected to put the National Parks in a big test as well, with an increase in days at high risk of fire occurring in all the country's forests.

Finally, in a related report published in 2011, the Bank of Greece notes that the economic cost of climate change for our country is extremely high: in the worst case scenario, the total cost to the Greek economy by 2100 amounts to 701 billion euros , amounting to more than twice as high as our national debt in 2009. The editors of the report note that the adoption of climate-friendly policies is the most cost-effective option we have. As Greece reduces emissions dramatically, in a similar global effort, total costs are reduced by € 265 billion to € 436 billion.

Parts of the central European plains have a hybrid oceanic/continental climate. Four seasons occur in most of Europe away from the Mediterranean. The coastal lowlands near and on the Mediterranean Sea, have more of a wet and dry season pattern, with winter the season of most rainfall, and summers a time of few rainy days.

The sulfur containing amino acids, methionine, and cystine, are limiting in the proteins of these grain legumes. However, a favorable amino acid profile is easily obtained with the combined use of cereal grains in the diet.

Tubers & Roots -Starchy Foods

Starchy roots and tuber crops play a pivotal role in the human diet. There are number of roots and tubers which make an extensive biodiversity even within the same geographical location. Thus, they add variety to the diet in addition to offering numerous desirable nutritional and health benefits such as antioxidative, hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory activities. A number of bioactive constituents such as phenolic compounds, saponins, bioactive proteins, glycoalkaloids, and phytic acids are responsible for the observed effects. Many starchy tuber crops, except the common potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cassava, are not yet fully explored for their nutritional and health benefits. In Asian countries, some edible tubers are also used as traditional medicinal. A variety of foods can be prepared using tubers and they may also be used in industrial applications. Processing may affect the bioactivities of constituent compounds. Tubers have an immense potential as functional foods and nutraceutical ingredients to be explored in disease risk reduction and wellness.

In the middle ages oregano was commonly used for medicinal purposes. They would chew the oregano leaves as a cure for many ailments such as rheumatism, toothache, indigestion, and coughing fits.

During this time, Oregano also made the journey to China. It was also used for medicinal purposes in this region. The Chinese people believed it helped with fever, vomiting and upset stomach.
During the Elizabethan era, oregano was used for just about anything. It was used to encourage good luck and good health. It was used in spells for happiness, tranquility, luck, health, protection and letting go of a loved one. It was also worn during sleeping to give one psychic dreams.

Oregano was not widely used in the United States until after the Second World War.  Soldiers discovered the herb during the Italian Campaign and brought it back to the US.

Frescoes dating back in 1600 BC found in Knossos, Greece and another one from 1500 BC in Santorini, Greece, respectively portrayed the whole process of saffron harvest and finally making an offering in a ritual worship, and young girls and monkeys plucking saffron filaments. In Thebes, Egypt, a medical papyrus also dated 1600 BC that was discovered in a tomb alluded to the medicinal function of saffron. These frescoes and documents are concrete evidences of the saffron culture existing even in the olden days. As a matter of fact, modern day analyses of said frescoes established the fact that they do quite emphasize the medicinal aspect of crocus more than anything else.
Saffron was a luxury saved for the nobility back then. Kings, queens, pharaohs and monks wore saffron perfumes, donned saffron-dyed robes, ate food and had drinks laced with saffron spice, bathed in saffron water for healing wounds and as prelude to romance, slept comfortably in beds speckled with saffron threads, and prayed to their gods with saffron offerings. 

The Enquiry into Plants was originally ten books, of which nine survive. The work is arranged into a system whereby plants are classified according to their modes of generation, their localities, their sizes, and according to their practical uses such as foods, juices, herbs, etc. The first book deals with the parts of plants; the second book with the reproduction of plants and the times and manner of sowing; the third, fourth, and fifth books are devoted to trees, their types, their locations, and their practical applications; the sixth book deals with shrubs and spiny plants; the seventh book deals with herbs; the eighth book deals with plants that produce edible seeds; and the ninth book deals with plants that produce useful juices, gums, resins, etc.
On the Causes of Plants was originally eight books, of which six survive. It concerns the growth of plants; the influences on their fecundity; the proper times they should be sown and reaped; the methods of preparing the soil, manuring it, and the use of tools; and of the smells, tastes, and properties of many types of plants.The work deals mainly with the economical uses of plants rather than their medicinal uses, although the latter is sometimes mentioned. A book on wines and a book on plant smells may have once been part of the complete work.

Although these works contain many absurd and fabulous statements, they include valuable observations concerning the functions and properties of plants. Theophrastus detected the process of germination and realized the importance of climate and soil to plants. Much of the information on the Greek plants may have come from his own observations, as he is known to have travelled throughout Greece, and to have had a botanical garden of his own; but the works also profit from the reports on plants of Asia brought back from those who followed Alexander the Great:

I looked many plant areas and those were ones of the best i have seen. They are well built and include every single information about their plant area! You can totaly understand the synthesis of platns there and also other factors that synthesize her bioarea. Amazing jod. A fine example of persons that woked hard to give us all tha richeness of their area!!