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Intensively Monitored Plant Micro-Reserves (IMPMR), a new model of in situ plant conservation from the Eastern Mediterranean area
The idea of protecting small-scale sites rich in rare, endemic or threatened plants (Plant Micro-Reserves, hereafter PMR) was put forward for the firsttime in Valencia (Spain) in the late 1980's and it came into being in the late 90’s (see Laguna , 2000, Laguna et al, 2004; Deltoro et al. 2006). In 2011,the Valencian PMR network has 289 protected sites. This necessarily means that each plot can only receive moderate attention in the long term.Thus, we coined the term Extensively Monitored Plant Micro-Reserves (EMPMR) to designate them. This model has served as the basis for drafting orcreating similar networks in other areas such as Latvia and Bulgaria, or within Spain in regions such as Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla and Leon or theisland of Menorca.
Emilio Laguna1, Costas Thanos2 , Costas Kadis3 , Vicente Deltoro1
1 Servei de Biodiversitat. Generalitat Valenciana. 46011 Valencia, Spain ([email protected] , [email protected])2 Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. 15784 Athens, Greece. ([email protected])3 Nature Conservation Unit. Frederick University. 1036 Nicosia, Cyprus. ([email protected])
Distribution of the established IMPMRs in Western Crete (left) and Cyprus (right), with images of their priority species/habitats. ©LIFE CRETAPLANT and PLANTNET-CY projects
Some results of the meteorological recods in the PMR for Androcymbium rechingeri and Bupleurum kakiskalae in Western Crete ©LIFE CRETAPLANT project
Since mid 2000, initially inspired by the Valencian PMR model and with the advice of its management team, a complementary system of PMRnetworks has been developed in the Eastern Mediterranean. It contains fewer sites, but these are subject to intensive, continuous monitoring. Theresult is that detailed information on the targeted species and habitats and on the environmental variables that regulate their development can beobtained. We call this system intensively monitored PMR (IMPMR, Monitored intensively PMR). Currently, it has been put into practice in the prefectureof Chania (western Crete, Greece) and Cyprus thanks to two LIFE projects aiming at the conservation of priority species and habitats Directive92/43/EEC.
The IMPMRs model has been developed by unifying the intensive, continuous monitoring of specific environmental parameters influencing the targetedspecies and habitats, as presented on Table 1. Weather stations that have been set up in situ are fitted with various measuring devices and data-loggers,and allow a detailed and permanent monitoring of environmental conditions, with a view to increasing the knowledge of the influence of weather conditionson the physiology of the species such as Phoenix theophrasti, Quercus alnifolia and Cedrus brevifolia. Field measurements can be tracked on-line. Theinformation provided by data-loggers allows knowledge of phenomena that until now could only be hinted from experimental results in controlled conditionssuch as temperature variations at different heights inside and above the ground, which directly affect the germination and recruitment of new individuals ofthe priority species.
The two established networks of IMPMRs contain 7 sites in Crete (6 for species and 1 for habitats) and 5 in Cyprus (3 for species, 1 for habitats and 1 forboth). A summary of the projects and some preliminary results for Crete work have been published by Thanos et al. (2005, 2006, 2007), Fournaraki &Gotsiou (2006) and Kargiolaki et al. (2007), while those of Cyprus have been summed up by Kadis et al. (2010 a and b, 2011). In the case of Cyprus detailedinformation on the biology of the species under study was available in adavance thanks to the work of Kadis (1995), Andreou (2010) and Tsintidis et al.(2007), whereas for Crete this information has been gathered in the course of the CRETAPLANT project itself. In both cases the LIFE projects have allowedthe understanding of genetic structure of populations of priority species (e.g. Tzirkalli et al. 2006).
(*) The activities reported in this poster have been co-financed by the LIFE programme of the European Commission through the following LIFE projects:LIFE04 NAT/GR/000104, A pilot network of plant micro-reserves in Western Crete (CRETAPLANT). http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/LIFE08 NAT/CY/000453, Establishment of a plant micro-reserve network in Cyprus for the conservation of priority species and habitats (PLANTNET-CY) http://www.plantnet.org.cy/
ReferencesAndreou M. 2010. Conservation biology of rare plants of rare plants of Cyprus. PhD thesis. University of Athens. Athens.
Deltoro, V. I., Pérez-Botella J., Serra L., Pérez-Rovira P., Olivares A., Fos S., Ballester G., Laguna E.. 2006. Plant Microreserves: frequently asked questions. 4 pp, 29 Kb, ext PDF, in Aguilella A., Ibars A.M., Laguna E., Pérez-Trocher B. (eds.): Proceedings of the 4th European Conference on the Conservation of Wild Plants. Generalitat Valenciana y Universitat de València. Valencia www.nerium.net/plantaeuropa/Download/Procedings/Deltoro_V.pdf
Fournaraki Ch., Gotsiou P. 2006. Plant Micro-Reserves. 20 pp. Information leaflet, LIFE CRETAPLANT Project . National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Forest Directorate of Chania, and Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania. Chania, Crete. http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/docs/cretaplant_leaflet_en.pdf
Laguna, E. 2000. The micro-reserves as a tool for conservation of threatened plants in Europe. Nature & Environment series nº 121. Council of Europe. Strasbourg.
Laguna. E., Deltoro V.I., Pérez-Botella J., Pérez-Rovira P., Serra L., Olivares A., Fabregat C.. 2004. The role of small reserves in plant conservation in a region of high diversity in eastern Spain. Biological Conservation 119 (3): 421-426
Kadis, C. C. 1995. On the reproductive biology of the strictly protected plants of Cyprus. PhD Thesis. University of Athens
Kadis C., Pantazi Chr., Tsindidis T., Christodoulou S.C., Papadopoulos M., Thanos C.A., Georghiou K., Kounnamas C., Constantinou C., Andreou M., Eliades N-G. 2011. Establishment of a Plant Micro-reserve Network in Cyprus for the Conservation of Priority Species and Habitats. 2nd Botanical Conference in Menorca 'Islands and Plants: preservation and understanding of flora on Mediterranean islands, 26th - 30th April, Menorca, Spain. http://www.plantnet.org.cy/files/paper_minorca.pdf
Kadis C., Pantazi Chr., Tsindidis T., Christodoulou S.C., Thanos C.A., Georghiou K., Kounnamas C., Constantinou C., Andreou M., Eliades N-G. (2010a). Establishment of a Plant Micro-reserve Network in Cyprus for the Conservation of Priority Species and Habitats. 1st International Bi-communal Conference on Biodiversity holding in Cyprus: 'TOP Biodiversity',Threats, Opportunities and Paces for Biodiversity, 3rd - 4th June, Larnaca, Cyprus. http://www.plantnet.org.cy/files/abstract_top-biodiversity.pdf
Kadis C., Pantazi Chr., Tsindidis T., Thanos C.A., Georghiou K., Kounnamas C., Constantinou C., Andreou M., Eliades N-G. (2010b). The protection and legal status of Plant Micro-Reserves within forest areas in Cyprus. 12th International Symposium on Legal Aspects of European Forest Sustainable Development, 31st May - 2nd June, Tochni, Cyprushttp://www.plantnet.org.cy/files/abstract_legal_statuspmr.pdf
Kargiolaki H., Thanos C.A., Fournaraki C., Maria E.A., Karpathaki H. 2007. Plant Micro-Reserves (A Pilot Project Implemented In Western Crete) and Samaria Biosphere Reserve. In: ‘Priorities for Conservation of Biodiversity in Biosphere Reserves in Changing Conditions’, Proceedings from the International Conference, MAB UNESCO, 2-6 June 2007, Stará Lesná, Slovakia: 17-23. Institute of Landscape Ecology, Slovak National Committee for UNESCO MAB Programme, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava. http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/docs/Slovakia.pdf
Thanos C.A., Fournaraki C., Georghiou K., Dimopoulos P., Bergmeier E. 2005. A Pilot Network of Plant Micro-Reserves in Western Crete, P2288. In Book of Abstracts, XVII International Botanical Congress, July 17-23, 2005, Vienna, Austria: p. 598 http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/docs/AbstractIBC2005.pdf
Thanos, C.A., Dimopoulos P., Bergmeier E., Georghiou K. 2006. Elaboration of monitoring plans for protected species of Western Crete, Greece. In Book of Abstracts, 1st European Congress of Conservation Biology ‘Diversity for Europe’, August 22-26, 2006, Eger, Hungary: 163. http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/docs/AbstractECCB1.pdf
Thanos C.A., Fournaraki Ch., Georghiou K., Dimopoulos P., Bergmeier E.. 2007. The Establishment, Monitoring and Management of a Pilot Network of Micro-Reserves in Western Crete for the Conservation of European Threatened Plants (CRETAPLANT Project, EU-LIFE). In: Rockich et al. (eds.): Proceedings, MEDECOS XI Conference: 249-250. Botanic Gardens & Parks Authority, Kings Park and Botanic Garden. Perth. http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/docs/ThanosPerthAbstract.pdf
Tsintidis T., Christodoulou Ch. S., Delipetrou P., Georghiou K. (Eds) 2007. The Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus. Cyprus Forestry Association, Nicosia.
Tzirkalli E., Tsiamis G., Thanos C., Dimopoulos P., Bourtzis K. 2006. Genetic and ecological analysis of protected, priority plants (Directive 92/42/EEC) in Crete. In Book of Abstracts, 1st European Congress of Conservation Biology ‘Diversity for Europe’, August 22-26, 2006, Eger, Hungary: 164. http://cretaplant.biol.uoa.gr/docs/AbstractECCB2.pdf
Table 1.- Main data of the 12 IMPMRs established in Western Crete (Prefecture of Chania) and Cyprus;*Environmental data, taken through micro-station data-loggers: T: Temperature**, H: Mixed temperature/relative humidity record using sensors and solar radiation shields; W: Wind (Anemometer), S: Sun incidence (Pyranometer), L: Light (PAR sensors), M: Soil moisture, R: Rainfall; **Temperature is measured through sensors placed in several microsite positions for each PMR, in order to monitor the air and soil temperatures at several height/depth
Meteorological microstation in the PMR for Cephalanthera cucullata in Crete ©LIFE CRETAPLANT project
the understanding of genetic structure of populations of priority species (e.g. Tzirkalli et al. 2006).
A relevant feature of IMPMRs is that their establishment involves drafting of both monitoring and management plans. While the former outline theongoing monitoring strategy, the latter are implicitly a preview of the main measures that should be included in the recovery plans for priority species orhabitats within micro-reserves. Partners of the two LIFE projects include state administrations in the forestry and species conservation areas, thusfurther ensing legal protection and assisting conservation work. In addition, both partners also act as conservation NGOs partners that channelenvironmental education and social awareness activities necessary to ensure the effectiveness of management plans.
PMR Name Surface
ha.
Altitude m. Priorioty species Priority habitats Environmental
parameters monitored *
WESTERN CRETE
Androcymbium rechingeri site 2,2 8-20 Androcymbium rechingeri T, R, L, S
Anthemis glaberrima site 4,4 0-40 Anthemis glaberrima T, R, M, L
Bupleurum kakiskalae site 1,0 1450-1550 Bupleurum kakiskalae T, H, R, L, S
Cephalanthera cucullata site 12,1 1200-1380 Cephalanthera cucullata T, H, R, M, L, S
Hypericum aciferum site 6,5 0-300 Hypericum aciferum T, H, R, L
Nepeta sphaciotica site 5,2 2230-2350 Nepeta sphaciotica T, M, L, S, W
Phoenix theophrasti site 7,9 0-20 Palm groves of Phoenix *9370 T, H, M, L, S, W
CYPRUS
Periochi Mitserou 2,8 348-375 Ophrys kotschyi T,H, S, L, M, R
Koilada Kedron – Kambos (1) 22,9 1135-1325 Quercus alnifolia srub and low forest *9390 T,H, S, L, M, R
Koilada Kedron – Kambos (2) 15,8 1280-1405 Arabis kennedyae Cedrus brevifolia forest *9590 T,H, S, L, M, R
Chersonisos Akama (Avakas Gorge) 17,3 70-230 Centaurea akamantis T,H, S, L, M, R
Periochi Asgatas 2,7 210-295 Astragalus macrocarpus subsp. lefkarensis T,H, S, L, M, R
Left: PMR at Koilada Kedron (Cedar Valley, Kambos, Cyprus) for the protection of Arabis kennedyae and the mature site of Cedrus brevifolia forests.Right: Ophrys kotschyi, targeted species for the establishment of the PMR at Periochi Mitserou, Mitsero, Cypus. ©LIFE PLANTNET-CY project
