Abstract
The different levels of biodiversity (genetic diversity, species diversity, ecosystem diversity) present in Greece are introduced, quantified, where possible, and analysed in comparison to the rest of the European continent and internationally. Greece ranks third and fourth regarding key biodiversity areas in Europe and Mediterranean Basin respectively and first in the number of species per unit area. The genetic diversity and differentiation in natural ecosystems and especially in forest tree species is very high. For a number of species (e.g. in chestnut) a significant portion of their total European genetic diversity is present in Greece and some metrics of genetic diversity parameters present high values when compared to European and world-wide average values. Nevertheless, the conservation of biodiversity has insofar focused at the ecosystem level. About one-third of the country land mass is under some form of biodiversity protection (27% included in the Natura 2000 network), however the forest genetic resources protection lags behind as officially only 5 species and 15 populations are part of the European Forest Genetic Resources Network. Overall, the richness for biodiversity in Greece is almost irreversibly proportional to the stage of its protection, especially at the genetic resource level.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aravanopoulos, F. (2010). The importance of the biodiversity of Hellenic forest and land-based ecosystems for Europe and the Mediterranean. In M. Ananiadou-Tzimopoulou (Ed.), Proc. Conf. Environmental Council (pp. 1–11). Thessaloniki: Aristotle University Press, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Aravanopoulos, F., Bucci, G., & Akkak, A. (2005). Molecular population genetics and dynamics of chestnut (Castanea sativa) in Europe: Inferences for gene conservation and tree improvement. Acta Horticulturae, 693, 403–412.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. (2010). ASEAN biodiversity outlook Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines (pp. 120–121). Los Banos: ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.
Ashton, P. S., Kamariah, A., & Said, I. M. (2003). Field guide to the forest trees of Brunei Darussalam and the Northwest Borneo hotspot. University of Brunei Darussalam in association with Brunei Forestry Department, Brunei Shell Petroleum and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation.
Beaman, J. H. (2005). Mount Kinabalu: Hotspot of plant diversity in Borneo. Biologiske Skrifter, 55, 103–127.
Brummitt, N., & Lughadha, E. N. (2003). Biodiversity: Where’s hot and where’s not. Conservation Biology, 17, 1442–1448.
Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. (2010). The second report on the state of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Food & Agriculture Organization.
De Bruyn, M., et al. (2014). Borneo and Indochina are major evolutionary hotspots for Southeast Asian biodiversity. Systematic Biology, 63, 879–901.
Derneği, D. (2010). Ecosystem profile: Mediterranean basin biodiversity hotspot Final Report for submission to the CEPF Donor Council July 27:2010.
Fady-Welterlen, B. (2005). Is there really more biodiversity in Mediterranean forest ecosystems? Taxon, 54, 905–910.
Farsakoglou, A. M., & Aravanopoulos, F. A. (2013). Greece-Borneo: A comparative biodiversity analysis. In Proceeding of the 13th Pan-Hellenic Conference, Hellenic Botanical Society, Thessaloniki.
Ganopoulos, I., Aravanopoulos, F. A., Argiriou, A., Kalivas, A., & Tsaftaris, A. (2011). Is the genetic diversity of small scattered forest tree populations at the southern limits of their range more prone to stochastic events? A wild cherry case study by microsatellite-based markers. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 7, 1299–1313.
Grafe, T. U., & Keller, A. (2009). A Bornean amphibian hotspot: The lowland mixed dipterocarp rainforest at Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei Darussalam. Salamandra, 45, 25–38.
Hamrick, J. L., & Godt, M. (1996). Effects of life history traits on genetic diversity in plant species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 351, 1291–1298.
Hamrick, J. L., Godt, M. J. W., & Sherman-Broyles, S. L. (1992). Factors influencing levels of genetic diversity in woody plant species. New Forests, 6, 95–124.
Hobohm, C. (2003). Characterization and ranking of biodiversity hotspots: Centres of species richness and endemism. Biodiversity and Conservation, 12, 279–287.
Hrdina, A., & Romportl, D. (2017). Evaluating global biodiversity hotspots – Very rich and even more endangered. Journal of Landscape Ecology, 10, 108–115.
Kueh, B. H., Maryati Mohamed, D., & Das, I. (2002). Application of biogeographical data of frogs to prioritize conservation areas in Borneo.
Magri, D., et al. (2006). A new scenario for the quaternary history of European beech populations: Palaeobotanical evidence and genetic consequences. New Phytologist, 171, 199–221.
Malliarou, E., & Aravanopoulos, F. (2012). A comparative analysis of forest tree species genetic diversity between Greece and the rest of the European continent. In: Proceeding of the 14th Pan-Hellenic Conference, Hellenic Scientific Society for Plant Genetics and Breeding, Thessaloniki.
Meijaard, E., & Nijman, V. (2003). Primate hotspots on Borneo: Predictive value for general biodiversity and the effects of taxonomy. Conservation Biology, 17, 725–732.
Mittermeier, R. A., Myers, N., Thomsen, J. B., Da Fonseca, G. A., & Olivieri, S. (1998). Biodiversity hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas: Approaches to setting conservation priorities. Conservation Biology, 12, 516–520.
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, C. G., Da Fonseca, G. A., & Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403, 853–858.
Orr, A. G., & Hauser, C. L. (1996). Kuala Belalong, Brunei: A hotspot of old world butterfly diversity. Tropical Lepidoptrea, 7, 1–12.
Slik, J., et al. (2009). Environmental correlates for tropical tree diversity and distribution patterns in Borneo. Diversity and Distributions, 15, 523–532.
Struebig, M. J., Bożek, M., Hildebrand, J., Rossiter, S. J., & Lane, D. J. (2012). Bat diversity in the lowland forests of the heart of Borneo. Biodiversity and Conservation, 21, 3711–3727.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Aravanopoulos, F.A., Alizoti, P.G., Farsakoglou, AM., Malliarou, E., Avramidou, E.V., Tourvas, N. (2019). State of Biodiversity and Forest Genetic Resources in Greece in Relation to Conservation. In: Šijačić-Nikolić, M., Milovanović, J., Nonić, M. (eds) Forests of Southeast Europe Under a Changing Climate. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 65. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95267-3_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95267-3_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95266-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95267-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)