Abstract
In the context of the WetMainAreas project of the INTERREG Balkan Mediterranean Program, wetland ecosystems are considered as important biodiversity hotspots with multiple services to human well-being, which often face weak protection and are subjected to human pressures and usage conflicts. The project focuses on ecosystem connectivity beyond the boundaries of protected areas and national borders and it is linked to the result indicator ‘Expansion of ecological connectivity and transnational ecosystems’ integration of designated areas’. Wetlands are mapped and assessed as important landscape features that can contribute to the ecological coherence of the Natura 2000 network. A pilot demonstration is presented for the transboundary Nestos/Mesta river basin (5822.28 km2), large parts of which are covering by Natura 2000 sites while a significant number of wetland sites are found in unprotected land. A landscape-level methodological approach is followed based on mapping products and European and national datasets. Spatial analysis and modelling techniques are applied to map the landscape’s natural potential and to reveal landscape patterns of well-connected, protected or unprotected natural areas that possess high potentials to preserve biodiversity. The study tackles the lack of detailed geospatial data on wetland contribution (especially the small ones) and the lack of assessments on the contribution of wetland ecosystems in the spatial connectivity of protected networks. It demonstrates the important role of wetlands and of Natura 2000 sites in preserving biodiversity at transnational level. The study results can support policymaking and contribute to defining conservation measures.
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Acknowledgements
This study has received funding from the INTERREG Balkan Mediterranean program, as part of the WetMainAreas project. The WetMainAreas project is co-funded by the European Union and National Funds of the participating countries. We specially acknowledge Dr. Petar Petrov (Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture of the University of Forestry of Sofia) for the provision of the wetland layer for the Bulgarian part, Maria Tompoulidou and Nikolaos Nikisianis (EKBY’s external experts) for their support in delineating wetland boundaries for the Greek part, and Dr. Iphigenia Keramitsoglou (National Observatory of Athens) for the analysis of the Sentinel 2 images.
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Fitoka, E., Hatziiordanou, L. (2020). Mapping and Assessment of Wetland Ecosystems Beyond Boundaries. A Pilot Demonstration in the Transboundary Nestos/Mesta River Basin. In: Nedkov, S., et al. Smart Geography. Key Challenges in Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28191-5_27
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28191-5_27
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