My PlantArea (Kozani) by Iraklis Spyridopoulos

"Kouri" forest

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-19 19:11:10 UTC

"Mpourinos" mountain

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-19 19:24:22 UTC

"Skepasmeno" Waterfall

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-19 19:46:33 UTC

Saffron

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-19 20:34:54 UTC

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
(Angiosperm)
Class: Liliopsida (Monocot)
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Crocus
Species: C. sativus
Morphology :
Crocus sativus has a corm, which holds leaves, bracts, bracteole, and the flowering stalk. These are protected by the corm underground. C. sativus generally blooms with purple flowers in the autumn. The plant grows about 10 to 30 cm high. C. sativus is a triploid with 24 chromosomes, which means it has three times the haploid number of chromosomes. This makes the plant sterile due to its inability to pair chromosomes during meiosis.

In Greece its vernacular name is "Crocus Kozanis" since Kozani is the only city known to make mass production of it.

Health Benefits of Saffron

Saffron contains several plant-derived chemical compounds that are known to have been antioxidant, disease preventing, and health promoting properties.
Their flower pistils compose several essential volatile oils, but the most important of them all is safranal which gives saffron its pleasant flavor. Other volatile oils in saffron are cineole, phenethenol, pinene, borneol, geraniol, limonene, p-cymene, linalool, terpinen-4-oil, etc.
This colorful spice has many non-volatile active components; the most important of them is α-crocin, a carotenoid compound, which gives pistils their natural golden-yellow color. It also contains other carotenoids, including zeaxanthin, lycopene, α- and ß-carotenes. These are important antioxidants that help protect the human body from oxidant-induced stress, cancers, infections and acts as immune modulators.
The active components in saffron have many therapeutic applications in many traditional medicines as antiseptic, antidepressant, antioxidant, digestive, anti-convulsant.
This novel spice is an excellent source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. The human body uses manganese and copper as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for cytochrome oxidases enzymes.
Additionally, it is also rich in many vital vitamins, including vitamin-A, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin-C that is essential for optimum health.

      Medicinal uses

The active components present in saffron have many therapeutic applications in many traditional medicines since a long time as anti-spasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic.
Research studies have shown that safranal, a volatile oil found in the spice, has antioxidant, cytotoxic effect on cancer cells, anticonvulsant and antidepressant properties.
The α-crocin, a carotenoid compound, which gives the spice its characteristic golden-yellow hue, has been found to have antioxidant, antidepressant, and anti-cancer properties.

Lavender

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-19 21:25:14 UTC

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Nepetoideae
Tribe: Ocimeae
Genus: Lavandula L.
Morphology:
Leaves opposite, turning silverish-gray, lanceolate-linear that are tomentose and highly aromatic; flower is a verticillaster with husk-like, highly scented purple florets.
Mature Size (ht. X w.): 0.4 - 0.7m x 0.6 - 1.0m

In Greece there is no vernacualr name about lavender ,although the names widely used for some of the species, "English lavender", "French lavender" and "Spanish lavender" are all imprecisely applied.

       Medical Use

The herb is highly regarded for skin and beauty and is commonly used in fragrances and shampoos to help purify the skin. It can be purchased over-the-counter (OTC) from drugstores, and some versions are used to add flavor to baked goods and foods.

Lavender oil is believed to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to heal minor burns and bug bites.
Research suggests that it may be useful for treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and restlessness.
Some studies suggest that consuming lavender as a tea can help digestive issues such as vomiting, nausea, intestinal gas, upset stomach and abdominal swelling.
In addition to helping with digestive problems, lavender is used to help relieve pain from headaches , sprains, toothaches, and sores. It can also be used to prevent hair loss.

Sources

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-19 22:07:22 UTC

1)Journal of Medical Microbiology:
https://jmm.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm
2)Journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine:
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/
3)International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice
https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ijpc20

Mediterranean Biogeographical Region

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 18:16:08 UTC

The Mediterranean basin stretches c.3,800 km east to west from the tip of Portugal to the shores of Lebanon and some 1,000 km north to south from Italy to Morocco and Libya. Within the European Union, the Mediterranean Region encompasses seven Member States either partially (France, Portugal, Italy, Spain) or completely (Greece, Malta, Cyprus).

The climate is characterised by hot dry summers and humid, cool winters but it can also be notoriously capricious with sudden torrential downpours or bouts of high winds (eg. the Sirocco, the Mistral) occurring at various times of the year. These climatic conditions have a profound influence on the vegetation and wildlife of the region. So does its varied and contrasting topography – the Mediterranean Region offers an ever changing landscape of high mountains, rocky shores, impenetrable scrub, semi-arid steppes, coastal wetlands, sandy beaches and a myriad islands of various shapes and sizes dotted amidst the clear blue sea.

Having escaped the last Ice Age, all these areas harbour their own special kind of wildlife and habitats. As a result, the Mediterranean has not only a very rich biodiversity but also a large number of species that exist here and nowhere else in the world. The rate of endemism is exceptionally high both on land and in the sea. Of the 25,000 flowering plants identified so far–representing around 10% of all known plants on earth – more than half are endemic to the region. Not surprisingly, the Mediterranean is considered one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Sources

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 18:22:09 UTC

1)European Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm
2)Notulae Scientia Biologicae
https://www.notulaebiologicae.ro/index.php/nsb

Responses to Environmental Stress in Plants Adapted to Mediterranean Gypsum Habitats

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 18:29:22 UTC

Alexander von Humboldt

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 18:56:56 UTC

Cosmos: A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe is an influential treatise on science and nature written by the German scientist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Cosmos began as a lecture series delivered by Humboldt at the University of Berlin, and was published in five volumes between 1845 and 1862 (the fifth was posthumous and completed based on Humboldt's notes). In the first volume of Cosmos, Humboldt paints a general “portrait of nature”, describing the physical nature of outer space and the Earth. In the second volume he describes the history of science.Widely read by academics and laymen alike, it applied the ancient Greek view of the orderliness of the cosmos (the harmony of the universe) to the Earth, suggesting that universal laws applied as well to the apparent chaos of the terrestrial world. Humboldt goes on to suggest that when one contemplates the beauty of the cosmos, one can obtain personal inspiration and a beneficial, if subjective, awareness about life.

Cosmos was influenced by Humboldt's various travels and studies, but mainly by his journey throughout the Americas. As he wrote, “it was the discovery of America that planted the seed of the Cosmos.” Due to all of his experience in the field, Humboldt was preeminently qualified for the task to represent the universe in a single work. He had extensive knowledge of many fields of learning, varied experiences as a traveler, and the resources of the scientific and literary world at his disposal.

Mediterranean Climate Change

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 19:38:49 UTC

This is the first ever study to synthesise multiple changes in the environment that impact the livelihoods of people in the entire Mediterranean Basin.

Average temperatures in the Mediterranean region have already risen by 1.4°C since the pre-industrial era, 0.4°C more than the global average. During the past two decades, sea level has risen by 6 cm and sea water acidity has significantly increased.

    Water shortages

Even if future global warming is limited to 2°C, as prescribed by the Paris Agreement, summer rainfall is at risk of being reduced by 10 to 30% in some regions, thereby worsening existing water shortages and causing loss in agricultural productivity, particularly in southern countries.

Under such circumstances, irrigation would have to be increased by 4-22%. This demand will be in competition with other uses (drinking water, tourism, industry).

Given the ongoing switch to more animal-based food production, southern countries are at risk of becoming more dependent on trade. Fisheries are also at risk, due to climate change, acidification and overfishing.

    Rising sea level

The melting of ice in Antarctica, Greenland and many mountain areas accelerates sea level rise more than recently estimated. This directly affects the Mediterranean, where the large population living very close to the coast would be affected by storm surges. Flooding by salt water will negatively impact agricultural soils in many areas, such as the Nile Delta.

      Public health

Public health is impacted by a variety of environmental impacts, such as heatwaves, pollution (cardio-vascular or respiratory diseases), and the increased spread of carriers of disease (West Nile virus, Dengue, Chikungunya). In politically unstable countries, environmental change brings significant socio-economic risks, due to famines, migration and conflict.

Sources

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 19:45:36 UTC

1)European Commission
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en
2)MedECC
http://www.medecc.org/?p=1807
References :http://www.medecc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/MedECC-booklet-annex.pdf

Climate change impacts on aviation: An interview with Herbert Puempel

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-25 19:58:54 UTC

https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/bulletin/climate-change-impacts-aviation-interview-herbert-puempel

Xinomavro

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 19:36:25 UTC

Xinomavro is the principal red wine grape of the uplands of Naousa in the regional unit of Imathia, and around Amyntaio, in Macedonia, Greece. This grape is primarily cultivated in Naousa, Goumenissa, Amyntaio, Rapsani, Trikomo, Siatista, Velventos, and, on a lesser scale, on Mount Athos, at Ossa, Ioannina, Magnesia, Kastoria and Trikala. In 2010, the total global cultivated area was 1,971 hectares (4,870 acres) and was entirely in Greece, but by 2013 this had grown to 2,239 hectares (5,530 acres) worldwide, with some initial plantings in Gansu, China.

Tsipouro

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 19:50:10 UTC

Tsipouro is a pomace brandy from Greece and in particular Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia, and the island of Crete . Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing 40-45% alcohol by volumeand is produced from the pomace (the residue of the wine press). It comes in two types: pure and anise-flavoured

Trees decorated in Christmas

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 19:57:25 UTC

Pine Tree

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 19:58:38 UTC

Fir

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 20:00:18 UTC

Groups of food Plants

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 20:08:52 UTC

Tubers & Roots -Starchy Foods

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 20:09:15 UTC

Grain legumes (Pulses)

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 20:20:08 UTC

Common Spices

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 20:22:24 UTC

Saffron

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 20:26:01 UTC

Some doubts remain on the origin of saffron, but it is believed that saffron originated in Iran. However, Greece and Mesopotamia have also been suggested as the possible region of origin of this plant. C. sativus is possibly a triploid form of Crocus cartwrightianus. Saffron crocus slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

Saffron is spicy with a slightly bitter taste and therefore must be used sparingly, which is just as well due to the cost of the spice.

Although saffron has a strong flavour, it is mainly used for its colour, adding a bright yellow-orange tint to the food. This is where the "paella valenicana" and many Indian rice dishes obtain their typical bright yellow colour.

Oregano

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 21:05:20 UTC

Oregano is a flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is native to temperate Western and Southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.

Oregano is a culinary herb, used for the flavor of its leaves, which can be more flavorful when dried than fresh. It has an aromatic, warm, and slightly bitter taste, which can vary in intensity

Theophrastus

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-02-27 21:11:03 UTC

In the Enquiry into Plants, Theophrastus classifies and describes varieties—covering trees, plants of particular regions, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and cereals; in the last of the nine books he focuses on plant juices and medicinal properties of herbs. The Loeb Classical Library edition is in two volumes; the second contains two additional treatises: On Odours and Weather Signs.

In De Causis Plantarum, Theophrastus turns to plant physiology. Books 1 and 2 are concerned with generation, sprouting, flowering and fruiting, and the effects of climate. In Books 3 and 4, Theophrastus studies cultivation and agricultural methods. In Books 5 and 6, he discusses plant breeding; diseases and other causes of death; and distinctive flavours and odours.

Chamomile

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-01 19:31:47 UTC

Chamomile or also known by its scientific name Anthemis glaberrima is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. It is found only in Greece. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky shores.
Some key factors that made this species go endangered are : the clearance of heaths, drainage of winter-wet grasslands, loss of pastures to arable fields, and decline of grazing on commons.

Business Plan

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-01 20:02:17 UTC

https://padlet.com/Iraklis_Spiridopoulos/2rkrgmeox9d4

Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-05 21:55:38 UTC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

Oregano: Overview of the Literature on Health Benefits

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-05 21:59:55 UTC

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trial

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-05 22:18:09 UTC

Antibacterial Effect of Lavender (Lavandula) Flavor (Volatile). Journal of Food Science and Engineering

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-05 22:20:51 UTC

Quick Comparison

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-27 22:32:25 UTC

Comparing some of the padlets to mine I can notice that many people have chosen the Mediterranean biogeography just like I did. Looking through their information I can see that most of the stress factors are similar. The only difference I noticed is that in some padlets there is no reference to any scientific paper or interview about the theme.

Quick Comparison

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-27 22:38:38 UTC

Looking at the padlets again climate change is a worldwide phenomenon. I notice that to some extend we all talk about temperature rising over the years and how that affects plant life . Also it is very interesting to see the statistical side of climate change to each part of the world based on their surroundings

Quick Comparison

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-27 22:48:11 UTC

In this theme , to my opinion the most interesting , there is a huge diversity of how plants are used in everyone's routine . Firstly , I can notice the growth of different trees and crops compared to my plant area . Moreover , I can see how important herbs are for cooking and learn more about their origin .

Quick Comparison

Iraklis_Spiridopoulos — 2019-03-27 23:01:36 UTC

Most of the business plans are well organised and include all of the key points that were asked . Each padlet describes how a plant or a small plant area got endangered and then they list down the possible ways of countering the problem . In conclusion,I notice that most of the plants that people list as endangered are unknown to me.