Download NATIONAL PARKS

NATIONAL PARKS IN GREECE
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What is a national park?
A national park is a reserve of natural or semi-natural land,
declared or owned by a government, set aside for human
recreation and enjoyment, animal and environmental protection
and restricted from most development.
According to Greek and international law, every national park
consists of the core (zone of absolute protection), which prohibits
any activity that could disrupt the ecosystem (hunting, fishing,
grazing and logging) and the peripheral zone (restricted area
protection),where certain activities are allowed.
How many and what national parks are in
Greece?
In our country we have identified ten national parks,
covering some 840,000 acres.
Greece is among the first countries in Europe, which
gained national parks: in 1938 established the
national parks of Olympus and Parnassus.
Greek national parks:
1. Olympus National Park
2. Parnassos National Park
3. Parnitha National Park
4. Samaria National Park
5. Vikos–Aoös National Park
6. Ainos National Park
7. Sounio National Park
8. Oeta National Park
9. Pindos National Park
10. Prespes National Park
.
Despite their great value, Greek forests face many dangers and threats.
 Wildfires and encroachment as a result of urban expansion and uncontrolled
human activity are definitely the most important threats. Greek forests are
gradually replaced by urban, suburban and tourist areas.
 Overgrazing, often followed by fire, is the main culprit behind the bare
mountains of Greece. Animals (mainly sheep) that graze freely in forests,
damage vegetation, destroy natural regeneration, trample and degrade the soil
physical properties. When grazing is mild and sustainably managed, it may
prove beneficial for the protection of our forests.
 The absence of a coherent and efficient national forest policy, lack of forestry
management and the degeneration of the Forest Service are factors that
accentuate the problems of Greek forests.
OLYMPUS NATIONAL PARK
In 1938, Olympus, the highest Greek mountain, the residence of the twelve
ancient gods, was the first area which was declared as a National Park.
The aim was the preservation of the natural environment, of the flora, fauna
and natural landscapes, as well as of its cultural and other values. Scientific
research had to be supported and people had to become aware of the
environmental conditions. Furthermore tourism had to be developed in the
wider area.
The Parnassus national Park.
 Mt Parnassus is one of the highest mountains in central Greece at
2,457m and lies a few km east of the famous archaeological and
birding site of Delphi.
 The Parnassus National Park is dominated by several high peaks and
the scenery and forests here are among the most beautiful in the
country. The virtually unspoilt forests consist largely of Greek Fir
Abies cephalonica and this is one of the best preserved forests of this
tree remaining in Greece.
Mount Parnitha national Park.
 Mount Parnitha is a densely forested mountain range north of Athens,
the highest on the peninsula of Attica, with an elevation of 1,413 m
(Much of the mountain is designated a national park, and is a
protected habitat for wildfowl, first created in 1961.
 The summit is located 18 km N of Acharnae and about 30 km N of
Athens, while the mountain covers approximately 250 km² of land
Samaria national Park
 The gorge is in the prefecture of Chania in southwest Crete. It was
created by a small river running between the White Mountains (Lefká
Óri) and Mt. Volakias. There are a number of other gorges in the
White Mountains.
 The gorge became a national park in 1962, particularly as a refuge
for the rare kri-kri (Cretan goat), which is largely restricted to the park
and an island just off the shore of Agia Marina
Vikos national Park
 The Vikos–Aoös National Park founded in 1973, is located 30 kilometers north
of the city of Ioannina.
 It is named after the two major gorges of the area and encompasses
12,600 hectares of mountainous terrain, with numerous rivers, lakes, caves,
deep canyons, dense coniferous and deciduous forest.
 The park is part of the Natura 2000 ecological network and one of UNESCO
Geoparks .
 Over 100,000 people visit the park each year and take part in activities
including rafting, canoe-kayaking, hiking and mountain biking.
Ainos national park
 Mount Aenos or Ainos is the tallest mountain in the Ionian island of
Cephallonia, Greece, with an elevation of 1,628 metres (5,341 ft).
 Most of the mountain range is designated as a park area and is covered
with Greek fir (Abies Cephallonica) and black pine (Pinus nigra) .
Sounio national park
 This is the smallest of the country's ten national parks. Its core area
is only half that required for a national park but an exception was
made because it's coastal, extraordinarily scenic, archaeologically
unique.
 The greatest interest for the natural historian lies in its geological
history and properties though its main draw is the fifth-century
BCE temple of Poseidon (built with local marble.)
 Its plant and animal life are of limited interest compared to the other
national parks. Apart from one endemic cornflower species, the
flora are generally commonplace. It does serve as a valuable refuge
for species long gone in the rest of the densely populated
peninsula such as foxes and jackals. Perhaps the most important
factor is that it's protected as a forest and thus almost impossible
to turn into lots, it being absolutely prime real estate in the eyes of
the many greedy property developers that infest Attica.
Oeta national park
Mount Oeta is a mountain to the south of Central Greece.It is an
offshoot of the Pindus range, (2,160 m) high. In its eastern
portion, called Callidromus, it comes close to the sea, leaving
only a narrow passage known as the famous pass of
Thermopylae..
In mythology Oeta is chiefly celebrated as the scene of Heracles'
death. Prepared to die, he ascended Mount Oeta, where he built a
funeral pile of trees, gave his bow and arrows to Poeas, father of
Philoctetes, and laid himself down on the pile, his head resting
on his club, and his lion's skin spread over him, and commanded
Philoctetes to apply the torch to the pyre.
Pindos national park
 Pindos National Park (Valia Calda) is the national park that of
mountainous region of "Zesti Koilada", and area rich in pine and
beech pine trees. The Park was establised in 1966, it covers an area
of 7000 hectares of which 3300 are the center and the rest is the
district zone of the forestry.
 .
 The visitor can come in contact with the wild beauty of this forested
area, from the Prefecture of Ioannina .
 Crystal clear are the waters of the rivers in the forested area of
Aoos and the rapid waters of the river Arkoudorema They are
surrounded in the distance the mountainous range of Lygkos with
peaks over 2000 meters.
Prespes national park
 The basin of the Prespa lakes is endowed with an exceptional
biodiversity. The region has been recognized as a European and
Global Hotspot of Biodiversity, not only because of the sheer
number of species and habitats present, but also due to their
quality, such as rarity and conservation significance.
 There are 1249 species of higher plants in the Prespa National
Forest in Greece alone. The studies of the FYR of Macedonian
part of the basin identified 13 habitat types of European
importance, 33 globally significant plant species and 84 globally
significant vertebrate species. Among others, there are the
endemic forest with Juniperus species, the Macedonian, Balkan
Pine, stream trout, Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant and the
Balkan Lynx. Numerous local endemic species both plants and
animals, can be found in the basin and nowhere else in the world.
 .
Thank you for your attention !
References:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_parks_of_Greece, accessed
18.12.2010.
 Greek forests - Greek forests – WWF, www.wwf.gr, accessed
18.12.2010.
 Management Agency of Olympus National Park,
www.olympusfd.gr/us/infos.asp, accessed 18.12.2010.
 Management Agency of Olympus National Park, samariagorge.eu/,
accessed 18.12.2010, etc.