Forests
Forests comprise 25.4% of the total area of Greece, making it the fourth largest country in Europe with respect to forest resources. The majority of the Greek forests are natural and not technical. They are characterized as Mediterranean. These are ecosystems that have adapted to dry, hot summers and cold winters. Oak trees have developed in the Mediterranean and Circum Mediterranean zone, while acorns grow in the Thessaly plain where the soil is more fertile. We will also come across types of trees that have spread throughout Europe, such as the pine (Pinus silvestris), the spruce (Picea abies), and the beech (Fagus sylvatica). The fauna in the Greek forests are characterized by high biodiversity. Other than the numerous kinds of birds, reptiles and insects, there is also a remarkable variety of mammals which live in the Greek forests, with the most notable being the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the wildcat (Felis silvestris), the jackal (Canis aureus), the wolf (Canis lupus) and the badger (Meles meles).
National Parks
National Parks are proclaimed (natural regions) and their boundaries specified by Presidential Decree, based on Legislative Decree 996/1971, with a total area of 68,732 hectares, of which 34,378 hectares comprise the core. They are as follows:
Name |
Prefecture |
Island |
Hectares |
Ainos |
Kefalonia |
Kefalonia |
2862 |
Vikos – Aoos |
Ioannina |
– |
9300 |
Lefka Ori (Samaria Gorge) |
(Chania) |
Crete |
4850 |
Oiti |
Fthiotida |
– |
3010 |
Olympos |
Pieria |
– |
3988 |
Parnassos |
Fokida, Boiotia |
– |
3513 |
Parnitha |
Attica |
– |
3812 |
Sounio |
Attica |
– |
2750 |
Pindos |
Ioannina |
– |
3534 |
Prespes |
Florina |
– |
4900 |
Aesthetic forests
Aesthetic forests (a total of 19), with a total area of 33,109 hectares, have been demarcated based on L.D. 996/1971 and are as follows:
Name |
Prefecture |
Island |
Vai |
Lasithi |
Crete |
Kaisariani |
Attica |
– |
Tempon Thessalikon Valey |
Larissa |
– |
Karaiskaki |
Karditsa |
– |
Xylokastro |
Corinthia |
– |
Panepistimioupolis Patras |
Achaia |
– |
Ioannina |
Ioannina |
– |
Farsalon |
Larissa |
– |
Stenis |
Evia |
Evia |
Ossa Forest Complex |
Larissa |
– |
Mongostou |
Corinthia |
– |
Nikopoleos Mytika |
Preveza |
– |
Skiathos |
Magnisia |
Skiathos |
Nestos River Straits |
Xanthi, Kavala |
– |
Ethnikis Anexartisias Kalavryton |
Achaia |
– |
Tithoreas |
Fthiotida |
– |
Amygdaleona |
Kavala |
– |
Anlia |
Trikala |
– |
Kouri Almyros |
Magnisia |
– |
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