MAES implementation in Greece: Geodiversity.

The present study aims to support the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) implementation in Greece, by synthesizing an indicator that could be used for abiotic attribute assessments and specifically for geodiversity. Such an indicator can be used not only for reporting obligations under EU initiatives but also for identifying "conservation hotspots". Such areas, characterized by rich geodiversity, are important for supporting biodiversity and other ecosystem services. In addition, identification and mapping of threats to those areas, due to natural or anthropogenic processes, can be used for the introduction or reformation of protective environmental legislation. The geodiversity indicator has been compiled using geological, geomorphological, climatic, pedological and hydrological data layers, while threats to geodiversity have been produced by integrating the sub-indices of erosion, protection level, land degradation, mineral and/or ore extraction activity, and the concentration of wildfire ignition sites. Finally, a bivariate map highlights geodiversity "hotspots" in Greece, which were found to correspond in most cases with locations of rich geodiversity and poor protection from adverse natural or human induced processes, mainly due to the lack of protective legislation. The study's outcomes provide a baseline for scientifically informed decisions for conservation, management and spatial planning, while simultaneously complying with EU and national legislation and strategies for nature conservation and integrated development.

Climate and Land-Cover Change Impacts and Extinction Risk Assessment of Rare and Threatened Endemic Taxa of Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park (Peloponnese, Greece).

Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park is a floristic diversity and endemism hotspot in Greece and one of the main areas where Greek endemic taxa, preliminary assessed as critically endangered and threatened under the IUCN Criteria A and B, are mainly concentrated. The climate and land-cover change impacts on rare and endemic species distributions is more prominent in regional biodiversity hotspots. The main aims of the current study were: (a) to investigate how climate and land-cover change may alter the distribution of four single mountain endemics and three very rare Peloponnesian endemic taxa of the National Park via a species distribution modelling approach, and (b) to estimate the current and future extinction risk of the aforementioned taxa based on the IUCN Criteria A and B, in order to investigate the need for designing an effective plant micro-reserve network and to support decision making on spatial planning efforts and conservation research for a sustainable, integrated management. Most of the taxa analyzed are expected to continue to be considered as critically endangered based on both Criteria A and B under all land-cover/land-use scenarios, GCM/RCP and time-period combinations, while two, namely Alchemilla aroanica and Silene conglomeratica, are projected to become extinct in most future climate change scenarios. When land-cover/land-use data were included in the analyses, these negative effects were less pronounced. However, Silene conglomeratica, the rarest mountain endemic found in the study area, is still expected to face substantial range decline. Our results highlight the urgent need for the establishment of micro-reserves for these taxa.

A Morphometric and Karyological Study of the Anthemis macedonica Group (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) Reveals a New Species from Greece.

A recent study of the Anthemis collections in the Balkans indicated that the taxa of the Anthemis macedonica group (A. macedonica subsp. macedonica, A. macedonica subsp. thracica, A. meteorica, A. orbelica) exhibit noteworthy morphological patterns not evaluated before. We applied morphometric approaches (principal components analysis, PCA; factor analysis on mixed data, FAMD) by considering 19 qualitative and 20 quantitative morphological characters, together with three ratios, in 26 populations of this group. Furthermore, the chromosome numbers and karyotype morphology were investigated in eight populations of the group, covering the taxa participating in the study. Our results revealed that the southernmost populations of the group represent a hitherto unknown species confined to serpentine: it is described here as Anthemis serpentinica Goula & Constantinidis. The morphological evidence supports the proximity of A. macedonica and A. orbelica, which would be better considered as subspecific entities of the same species. On the contrary, A. meteorica and A. thracica are retained as independent entities at species level. All taxa share the same diploid chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 18 with similar but not identical karyotypes. A brief description of all taxa, based on recent new collections, and a dichotomous key are presented. Lectotypes are designated for Anthemis macedonica and A. meteorica.

Taxonomy of Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) - overall phylogenetic relationships and assessment of species diversity based on a first comprehensive checklist of the genus.

In this study, we present an overall phylogenetic framework for Dianthus using four plastid regions (matK-trnK-psbA, rpl32-trnL, trnQ-rps16) and nuclear ITS and a species-level checklist for the genus developed by using all available databases and the literature. The trees from the plastid dataset depict a clade of Dianthus that also includes Velezia and a few taxa of Petrorhagia. New combinations in Dianthus are provided for these species. The checklist of Dianthus in this new delimitation covers 1781 names, with 384 accepted species, 150 subspecies, 12 heterotypic varieties and two forms (not counting autonyms), 1050 synonyms, 22 hybrid names and 172 unresolved names, 3 names were excluded. Implications for the evolution of flower characters, life forms, biogeography, as well as sectional classification are discussed based on the phylogenetic framework.

Linking Taxonomic, Phylogenetic and Functional Plant Diversity with Ecosystem Services of Cliffs and Screes in Greece.

Sparsely vegetated habitats of cliffs and screes act as refugia for many regional and local endemic specialized plant taxa most of which have evolved precisely for that type of habitat. The interplay between taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional plant diversity on rock and scree habitats of extreme environmental conditions, enlightens the relations of plant communities and ecosystems and facilitates management planning for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The identification of biodiversity patterns and hotspots (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional) contributes to the integration of the ecosystem services (ES) approach for the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES) implementation in Greece and the creation of thematic maps based on the MAES reporting format. The overlap among the protected areas' network revealed that almost all areas of cliffs and screes of medium, high, and very high taxonomic and phylogenetic plant endemism are included in the Natura 2000 area network. The results of this study provide the baseline information for ES assessments at sparsely vegetated land of cliffs and screes. Our results contribute to the implementation of certain indicators of the national set of MAES indicators in Greece such as (a) floristic diversity and (b) microrefugia of endemic diversity and support of decision-making.

Extinction Risk Assessment of the Greek Endemic Flora.

Human-induced biodiversity decline has been on the rise for the past 250 years, due to various causes. What is equally troubling, is that we are unaware which plants are threatened and where they occur. Thus, we are far from reaching Aichi Biodiversity Target 2, i.e., assessing the extinction risk of most species. To that end, based on an extensive occurrence dataset, we performed an extinction risk assessment according to the IUCN Criteria A and B for all the endemic plant taxa occurring in Greece, one of the most biodiverse countries in Europe, in a phylogenetically-informed framework and identified the areas needing conservation prioritization. Several of the Greek endemics are threatened with extinction and fourteen endemics need to be prioritized, as they are evolutionary distinct and globally endangered. Mt. Gramos is identified as the most important conservation hotspot in Greece. However, a significant portion of the identified conservation hotspots is not included in any designated Greek protected area, meaning that the Greek protected areas network might need to be at least partially redesigned. In the Anthropocene era, where climate and land-use change are projected to alter biodiversity patterns and may force many species to extinction, our assessment provides the baseline for future conservation research, ecosystem services maintenance, and might prove crucial for the timely, systematic and effective aversion of plant extinctions in Greece.

WOODIV, a database of occurrences, functional traits, and phylogenetic data for all Euro-Mediterranean trees.

Trees play a key role in the structure and function of many ecosystems worldwide. In the Mediterranean Basin, forests cover approximately 22% of the total land area hosting a large number of endemics (46 species). Despite its particularities and vulnerability, the biodiversity of Mediterranean trees is not well known at the taxonomic, spatial, functional, and genetic levels required for conservation applications. The WOODIV database fills this gap by providing reliable occurrences, four functional traits (plant height, seed mass, wood density, and specific leaf area), and sequences from three DNA-regions (rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA), together with modelled occurrences and a phylogeny for all 210 Euro-Mediterranean tree species. We compiled, homogenized, and verified occurrence data from sparse datasets and collated them on an INSPIRE-compliant 10 × 10 km grid. We also gathered functional trait and genetic data, filling existing gaps where possible. The WOODIV database can benefit macroecological studies in the fields of conservation, biogeography, and community ecology.

Plant Endemism Centres and Biodiversity Hotspots in Greece.

Biodiversity hotspots (BH) cover a small fraction of the Earth's surface, yet host numerous endemics. Human-induced biodiversity loss has been increasing worldwide, despite attempts to halt the extinction crisis. There is thus an urgent need to efficiently allocate the available conservation funds in an optimised conservation prioritization scheme. Identifying BH and endemism centres (EC) is therefore a valuable tool in conservation prioritization and planning. Even though Greece is one of the most plant species-rich European countries, few studies have dealt with the identification of BH or EC and none has ever incorporated phylogenetic information or extended to the national scale. Consequently, we are unaware of the extent that Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) of the Natura 2000 network efficiently protect Greek plant diversity. Here, we located for the first time at a national scale and in a phylogenetic framework, the areas serving as BH and EC, and assessed the effectiveness of the Greek SAC in safeguarding them. BH and EC are mainly located near mountainous areas, and in areas supposedly floristically impoverished, such as the central Aegean islands. A critical re-assessment of the Greek SAC might be needed to minimize the extinction risk of the Greek endemics, by focusing the conservation efforts also on the BH and EC that fall outside the established Greek SAC.

Spatial Phylogenetics, Biogeographical Patterns and Conservation Implications of the Endemic Flora of Crete (Aegean, Greece) under Climate Change Scenarios.

Human-induced biodiversity loss has been accelerating since the industrial revolution. The climate change impacts will severely alter the biodiversity and biogeographical patterns at all scales, leading to biotic homogenization. Due to underfunding, a climate smart, conservation-prioritization scheme is needed to optimize species protection. Spatial phylogenetics enable the identification of endemism centers and provide valuable insights regarding the eco-evolutionary and conservation value, as well as the biogeographical origin of a given area. Many studies exist regarding the conservation prioritization of mainland areas, yet none has assessed how climate change might alter the biodiversity and biogeographical patterns of an island biodiversity hotspot. Thus, we conducted a phylogenetically informed, conservation prioritization study dealing with the effects of climate change on Crete's plant diversity and biogeographical patterns. Using several macroecological analyses, we identified the current and future endemism centers and assessed the impact of climate change on the biogeographical patterns in Crete. The highlands of Cretan mountains have served as both diversity cradles and museums, due to their stable climate and high topographical heterogeneity, providing important ecosystem services. Historical processes seem to have driven diversification and endemic species distribution in Crete. Due to the changing climate and the subsequent biotic homogenization, Crete's unique bioregionalization, which strongly reminiscent the spatial configuration of the Pliocene/Pleistocene Cretan paleo-islands, will drastically change. The emergence of the 'Anthropocene' era calls for the prioritization of biodiversity-rich areas, serving as mixed-endemism centers, with high overlaps among protected areas and climatic refugia.

Patterns and drivers of species richness and turnover of neo-endemic and palaeo-endemic vascular plants in a Mediterranean hotspot: the case of Crete, Greece.

BACKGROUND: Exploring species richness and turnover patterns and their drivers can provide new insights into underlying mechanisms shaping community assembly, with significant implications for biodiversity conservation. Here, we explored diversity patterns of non-endemic, neo-endemic and palaeo-endemic vascular plants in Crete, Greece, a Mediterranean hotspot of plant richness and endemism. We evaluated the relationship between α-diversity and environmental (bioclimatic variables, topography), and anthropogenic variables by Generalized Additive Models, after accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Then, we quantified turnover using the novel concept of zeta diversity (the number of shared species by multiple sites), a framework which allows to explore the full spectrum of compositional turnover, the contribution of rare and widespread species to observed patterns and the underlying processes shaping them. Finally, we explored the abiotic and biotic effects, i.e. how well one category of species (non-endemics, palaeo-endemics, neo-endemics) predicts the patterns of the other categories, on zeta diversity by multi-site Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling. RESULTS: We found a strong correlation between neo-endemic and palaeo-endemic α-diversity, with climate, topography, and human impact driving species richness. Zeta diversity analysis revealed a sharper decrease of shared palaeo-endemic species, followed by neo-endemics, and then by non-endemics with the number of sites considered to estimate compositional turnover. Perhaps, the narrow distributions of palaeo-endemics as relict species and often habitat specialists, thus persisting locally, and of neo-endemics that may have not reached yet their potential geographical range, resulted in the observed zeta diversity decline pattern. Deterministic processes controlled species turnover of rare non-endemic and neo-endemic species, while deterministic and stochastic processes contributed similarly to palaeo-endemic turnover. However, stochasticity dominates in the case of widespread species in all occasions. The environmental and anthropogenic variables were poor predictors of compositional turnover, especially of widespread species. However, the non-endemic species composition was correlated to rare palaeo-endemics and neo-endemics, highlighting the importance of biotic effects in driving turnover patterns. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that centers of neo-endemism of vascular plants coincide with centers of palaeo-endemism in Crete, but species richness and species turnover are shaped by different drivers.

Integrating MAES implementation into protected area management under climate change: A fine-scale application in Greece.

Increasing anthropogenic pressures often jeopardize ecosystem integrity and policy-relevant conservation management in protected areas. To harmonize nature conservation with human well-being, EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 suggests Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) as the key concept for environmental planning and management in EU Member States. Applying this procedure is challenging due to its data-demanding and multidisciplinary nature, resulting in the ecoystem services (ES) approach being scarcely used in protected areas management. Increased data availability under EU biodiversity-related inventories and monitoring projects, as well as theoretical and empirical research advances developed during the last decade, should be put into practice to guide Member States towards local management frameworks and scenario building under the ongoing changes in the EU socio-economic environment. This study aims at filling this gap by embodying into the MAES operational framework a scenario-based approach and demonstrates this in a challenging case study of a Natura 2000 site, Lake Stymfalia, in Greece. The present management strategy, an ecological-friendly management practice, a water-efficient management practice and a non-environmentally friendly option (e.g. ecosystem destruction) are examined for current and future water demand under current and future climatic scenarios. The proposed methodological framework for ES operationalization is based on the available data (derived by EU Directives and/or modelling), expert judgment and stakeholder involvement. Therefore, this work applies and tests the importance of the MAES approach as a management and coordination platform.

Cultural landscapes and attributes of "culturalness" in protected areas: An exploratory assessment in Greece.

Cultural landscapes are poorly inventoried and evaluated in protected natural areas. This study presents a novel procedure to assess cultural landscape features and their cultural values in the major protected areas of Greece. After identifying a set of culturally modified land cover types and habitat types the GIS-based survey of the entire Natura 2000 protected area network in Greece (419 sites) shows that roughly 67% of protected area land cover consists of cultural landscape features. This was corroborated by the distribution of culturally modified habitat types which take up approximately 50% of the areal cover in a subset of the nation's Natura 2000 network (241 Special Areas for Conservation). Moreover, a set of 12 cultural attributes involving cultural heritage values, traditional land uses and aesthetic quality indicators were scored to assess these "cultural values" in each site. Gradient maps were produced to express an initial nation-wide site ranking profile. Heatmaps help link instead of solely rank culturally valuable sites that are in proximity to each other, showcasing site clusters of outstanding value. These analyses help define the level of "culturalness" of each site based on human-modified landscape and habitat types and provide a baseline review of cultural values in protected natural areas. This screening-level survey identifies the protected areas that may require special attention for managing cultural elements-of-diversity. Difficulties with data availability and uncertainties are reviewed. This procedure supports a paradigm shift that promotes a more holistic evaluation and management of biodiversity-centered protected areas, where until recently cultural landscapes were rarely appreciated.

Functional diversity exhibits a diverse relationship with area, even a decreasing one.

The relationship between species richness and area is one of the few well-established laws in ecology, and one might expect a similar relationship with functional diversity (FD). However, only a few studies investigate the relationship between trait-based FD and area, the Functional Diversity - Area Relationship (FDAR). To examine FDAR, we constructed the species accumulation curve and the corresponding FD curve. We used plant diversity data from nested plots (1-128 m2), recorded on the Volcanic islands of Santorini Archipelagos, Greece. Six multidimensional FD indices were calculated using 26 traits. We identified a typology of FDARs depending on the facet of FD analyzed: (A) strongly positive for indices quantifying the range of functional traits in the community, (B) negative correlation for indices quantifying the evenness in the distribution of abundance in the trait space, (C) no clear pattern for indices reflecting the functional similarity of species and (D) idiosyncratic patterns with area for functional divergence. As area increases, the range of traits observed in the community increases, but the abundance of traits does not increase proportionally and some traits become dominant, implying a reliance on some functions that may be located in either the center or the periphery of the trait space.

Comparing the two Greek archipelagos plant species diversity and endemism patterns highlight the importance of isolation and precipitation as biodiversity drivers.

BACKGROUND: Greece has two island archipelagos, the Aegean and the Ionian, which host a rich array of plants and wildlife, particularly endemic and threatened plant species. Despite the long history of island biogeographic studies in the Aegean, similar studies in the Ionian remain limited, with the two island archipelagos rarely being compared. RESULTS: The Aegean and Ionian archipelagos share many features, especially regarding total plant diversity, but exhibit different patterns of endemism. For instance, when considering similarly sized islands, those in the Ionian host as many as, if not more, species compared to the Aegean. In contrast, the Ionian Islands are poor in endemics (particularly narrow range endemics, such as single island or regional endemics) and threatened taxa, compared to the Aegean Islands. In the Ionian, endemics only persist on the largest islands, and form a very small proportion of the species pool, compared to the Aegean archipelago. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of endemism might be attributed to the more recent separation of the Ionian Islands from the mainland and the shorter distance separating them from the mainland. In addition, the Ionian Islands receive higher levels of precipitation and are typically covered by denser and higher vegetation than the Aegean Islands. These conditions favour greater total species richness, but tend to lead to higher numbers of common species compared to threatened and endemic taxa. This study demonstrates that both isolation and precipitation serve as biodiversity drivers, influencing plant species diversity and endemism patterns, of the two Greek archipelagos.

Ecoregions in the southern balkans: should their boundaries be revised?

Ecoregion delineations have gained increased attention in Europe, especially following the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD), which provides the European Union's first policy-relevant ecoregion map. However, the WFD's ecoregions were created through a minor adaptation of Illies' (Limnofauna Europaea. Gustav Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart, 1967/1978) freshwater zoogeographic regions, and the map's specific boundaries have not been widely evaluated with respect to the WFD's uses or their biogeographic accuracy. We examined the WFD ecoregion boundaries in Greece and its neighboring Balkan states by comparing them with the most prominent freshwater biogeographic boundaries as shown by riverine freshwater fish assemblages. Classification and ordination analyses of 23 river basin fish assemblages helped delineate natural faunal break boundaries in freshwater species assemblage distributions depicting major biogeographic barriers to aquatic biota dispersal. However, these biogeographic boundaries differ from those delineated in the WFD map, suggesting boundary errors and inconsistencies in the delineation method of the WFD ecoregions. We reviewed specific boundary disagreements and produced a map showing the region's most prominent freshwater biogeographic boundaries by charting them on watershed borders among the four biotically dissimilar river basin groups in the southern Balkans. This regional evaluation reveals both a need to reconcile disparate approaches to ecoregion mapping and to promote the development of a new policy-relevant inland waters ecoregion framework that would support broad-scale water management and aquatic conservation.

Assessing environmental degradation of montane riparian zones in Greece.

A survey of 218 woody vegetation plots at 109 streamside sites was undertaken to describe anthropogenic degradation of riparian zone woodlands in the mountains of mainland Greece. Two assessment indices and specific anthropogenic pressure variables were employed and they showed good correlations at both the site and river segment scales. It was demonstrated through the Spanish Riparian Forest Quality Index (Qualitat de Bosc de Riber: QBR) that most riparian zones were in moderate or good condition, although extremely few sites were of high ecological status. Most riparian sites were affected by several anthropogenic pressures, some pressures produce notable degradation beyond the site-scale (i.e. at the river segment scale). This work provides a summary of the first wide-ranging vegetation-based assessment of montane riparian zones in Greece; the results support the use of site-based rapid assessment protocols along-side aquatic ecological status surveys.

Microhabitat selection by sea turtles in a dynamic thermal marine environment.

1. Reproductive fitness is often compromised at the margins of a species' range due to sub-optimal conditions. 2. Set against this backdrop, the Mediterranean's largest loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) rookery at Zakynthos (Greece) presents a conundrum, being at a very high latitude for this species, yet hosting a high concentration of nesting. 3. We used visual surveys combined with global positioning system (GPS) tracking to show that at the start of the breeding season, individuals showed microhabitat selection, with females residing in transient patches of warm water. As the sea warmed in the summer, this selection was no longer evident. 4. As loggerhead turtles are ectothermic, this early season warm-water selection presumably speeds up egg maturation rates before oviposition, thereby allowing more clutches to be incubated when sand conditions are optimal during the summer. 5. Active selection of warm waters may allow turtles to initiate nesting at an earlier date.

Atlantoaxial instability and myelopathy due to an ossiculum terminale persistens.

BACKGROUND: Many cases of ossiculum terminale in Down's syndrome have been reported. We describe an unusual case of sudden atlantoaxial instability in a previously healthy woman without a history of trauma due to a dystopic ossiculum of the dens that could be classified as an ossiculum terminale persistens or as os odontoideum according to different classification proposals. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old woman was admitted with neck pain and Lhermitte's sign. Neurological examination revealed spasticity of both upper and lower limbs. Radiological evaluation of the cervical spine showed an ossiculum close to the anterior arch of the atlas. Flexion and extension films revealed an atlantoaxial instability. Additional findings using computerized tomography and magnetic resonance Imaging provided significant information about the soft tissue structures. The patient underwent a C1-C2 posterior cervical wiring and interspinous fusion with the Sonntag technique. Postoperatively, the patient was neurologically intact and without any symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In the present report we address the notion that, in cases of atlantoaxial instability and myelopathy due to a dens anomaly, surgical intervention is required and that there is no need to distinguish which type of anomaly really exists according to different classification schemes.

Kallmann's syndrome and schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Kallmann's Syndrome is a heritable disorder characterized by the association of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia or hyposmia. A common pathogenesis for KS and schizophrenia had been proposed based on shared pathologies of these two disorders, although no such clinical associations have ever been reported. METHOD: We report a 35 year old man with schizophrenia and Kallmann's Syndrome. The patient presented with signs and symptoms of hypogonadism, severe hyposmia and normal endocrine functions of the anterior pituitary. Hyposmia has been attributed to the absence of the olfactory bulbs and tracts and atrophy of the olfactory gyri, but normal olfactory mucosa. The patient presented with paranoid schizophrenia with persecutory delusions, auditory hallucinations, thought disorder, depersonalization, and gradual but marked global deterioration. RESULTS: Psychiatric evaluation revealed an entirely different psychopathological and personality profile between the patient and the six other Kallmann patients studied. Cycle sequencing analysis revealed a normal sequence of all 14 exons of the KAL gene. In conclusion, based on the presented case, Kallmann's Syndrome and schizophrenia represent a rare clinical association rather than a syndrome with a common pathogenesis, which if present should be confined to the olfactory dysfunction.