Greece on a sustainable future: reviewing constraints and practices regarding forest and water resources management, flora and fauna biodiversity

Koulelis, Panagiotis P.; Solomou, Alexandra D.; Fassouli, V.; Tsiaras, Stefanos; Petrakis, Panos V.

doi:10.1504/ijarge.2022.124637

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Many production and commercial firms suffered substantial losses as they saw a significant reduction in their customer base. The literature proposed that the national forest sector should evolve beyond traditional protection measures and move towards more extensive utilization [70]. This can be achieved through various actions, including limiting the retention of natural forest capital, exploring alternative opportunities for resource utilization, increasing logging activities while adhering to sustainable forest management (SFM) principles, establishing or adopting a national certification scheme, investing in industrial plantations, and ensuring stable prices and raw material quantities from national forest resources over extended periods based on management plans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Greece’s Forest Sector from the Perspective of Timber Production: Evolution or Decline?

Koulelis,

Tsiaras,

Andreopoulou

2023

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Greece’s trade patterns in wood and wood products align with the broader trade dynamics in the Mediterranean region, where wood and wood products are primarily imported. Using Pettitt’s test, this study revealed a consistent decline in the production of selected wood and wood product categories in Greece, coupled with a noteworthy increase in imports. Following the economic crisis of 2008, a temporary dip in import trends in some categories was observed. Furthermore, Pettitt’s test helped identify the specific years when significant shifts occurred in the time series data. In the latter part of the analysis, the study underscored the significance of various factors within the wood removal production sector, including urbanization, economic growth, personal income, and the labor force. National imports of goods and wood fuel were also identified as playing pivotal roles at the national level. Recognizing the link between economic indicators and wood removals has the potential to inform decisions related to sustainable resource management, conservation initiatives, and strategies for economic development.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Koulelis et al [70] and Koulelis [74] provide a comprehensive overview of the limitations and recommendations for enhancing the organization of the national forest sector. The overarching suggestions aim to advance sustainability, economic value, and job creation within the national forest sector.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greece’s Forest Sector from the Perspective of Timber Production: Evolution or Decline?

Koulelis,

Tsiaras,

Andreopoulou

2023

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…NBS costs and benefits assessment should be an integral part of investment projects, to engage stakeholders, assess the economic viability of investments, and evaluate the impacts of the NBS [46] as stressed also by key policy tools such as, for example, the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive and, more recently, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is important to note that forest restoration activities are encouraged also by the Greek National Forestry Strategic Development Plan 2018-2038, according to which there is significant scope for doing so in Greece [129]. In such a perspective, a National Reforestation Plan has been recently announced by the Greek government.…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riparian Forests as Nature-Based Solutions within the Mediterranean Context: A Biophysical and Economic Assessment for the Koiliaris River Watershed (Crete, Greece)

Masiero,

Bottaro,

Righetti

et al. 2024

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Mediterranean Basin is severely impacted by anthropogenic changes affecting both natural ecosystems and human livelihoods. The region is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, with floods being considered the most important, due both to their frequency and impacts. Koiliaris watershed (northwest of Crete Island, Greece) represents a relevant case study as past land-use changes via deforestation and intense cultivation practices induce soil organic matter losses, making soils susceptible to water erosion and desertification. The restoration of native riparian forests has been identified as the most effective nature-based solution (NBS) for the area. Through modeling, our study assessed the effectiveness of this NBS in addressing flood risk and erosion while providing additional ecosystem services (carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation). A cost–benefit analysis has been then implemented to also investigate the sustainability of the investment from an economic point of view. Our results show the NBS would be successful in ensuring a better flow of targeted ecosystem services compared to the business-as-usual conditions. The associated investment would result in economic sustainability and associated costs would be paid back in five years. Though site-specific, our study provides lessons learned for dealing with future land-restoration challenges in the Mediterranean to cope with climate change-related challenges.

show abstract

“…The adoption of the first Greek Biodiversity Strategy is a milestone in national biodiversity conservation policy. This outcome is a direct consequence of the strategy's emphasis on key objectives, including halting biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation by 2026, restoring them where feasible, promoting biodiversity as a national asset, and strengthening Greece's global efforts to combat biodiversity loss [109,110].…”

Section: Mitigating the Impacts Of Climate Change On Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forests in Greece face threats due to ongoing climatic changes, pest and insect attacks, fires [121,122], drought periods [26,46,47], invasive alien species [123], and biodiversity loss [110]. Consequently, the genetic diversity of forest species is actively lost [124].…”

Section: Impacts Of Climate Change On Forest Geneticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Climate Change on Greek Forests: A Review

Koulelis¹,

Proutsos²,

Solomou³

et al. 2023

Atmosphere

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study reviews the impacts of climate change on Greek forests, analysing factors such as climate trends, forest management, biodiversity, genetics, insects, and wildfires, using data from the Scopus and Mendeley databases and official reports. By utilising our current understanding and allocating necessary efforts and resources, we actively address climate change consequences on forests. This study focuses on climate change and extreme weather outcomes on forests. Greek mountain forests at 520–1310 m experience decreasing annual mean and minimum temperatures (−0.015 and −0.027 °C yr–1) but increasing maximum temperatures (+0.014 °C yr–1), especially in Southern Greece (+0.047 °C yr–1). Recent findings reveal forests migrating to higher altitudes with favourable conditions, correlating with water availability, temperature, and tree growth, necessitating further research on forest productivity. A decline in fir tree-ring growth (Average Tree Ring Width Index < 0.6) is observed in mainland Greece, indicating temperature’s effect on growth. Effective forest tree conservation requires prioritising biodiversity monitoring, considering climate change impacts on phenology and addressing the absence of strategies to protect and enhance genetic diversity. Climate change influenced 70 forestry pests’ ranges, notably among Greek insect pests. Annual burned areas from forest fires data indicate a consistent long-term increasing trend, underscoring fire prevention prioritization and exploring fire risk, behaviour, and climate change. The study highlights two to four significant knowledge gaps, and one to three key challenges pertaining to the six research areas. Finally, it promotes partnerships for informed decision-making and better outcomes by integrating Indigenous knowledge, scientific understanding, and collaboration among research, policy, and local management.

show abstract

Greece on a sustainable future: reviewing constraints and practices regarding forest and water resources management, flora and fauna biodiversity

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Greece’s Forest Sector from the Perspective of Timber Production: Evolution or Decline?

Greece’s Forest Sector from the Perspective of Timber Production: Evolution or Decline?

Riparian Forests as Nature-Based Solutions within the Mediterranean Context: A Biophysical and Economic Assessment for the Koiliaris River Watershed (Crete, Greece)

Effects of Climate Change on Greek Forests: A Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About