FORESTS IN GREECE,    FORESTS IN EUROPE

In Greece there are four forms of nature protection:

Ancient seminatural forest types
The area of ancient seminatural forest types in the country is about 22,143 ha. This area consists of the 16 regions that were integrated into the European network of biogenetic reserves. These regions are shown in the following map.
 
LEGEND
Location of ancient seminatural forest types
1. Trahaniou Xanthi - Virgin forest
2. Core area of Olympos - National Park
3. Core area of Ainos - National Park
4. Core area of Samaria - National Park
5. Core area of Oeti - National Park
6. Core area of Pindos - National Park  
7. Core area of Prespes  - National Park  (Forest of Juniperus foetidissima)
8. Kouri-Almyros - Forest
9. Lecini of Etoloacarnania - Ash stand
10. Zaros  Iraklio of Crete Canyon - "Rouva" Forest  
11. Sapienza island of Messinia - Forest of evergreen broadleaves
12. Promahona Likostomou Arideas - Stand sections of Pinus peuce
13. Emponas of island Rodos - Natural cypress forest
14. Gramos-Vitsi of Kastoria - Ancient forest stands
15. Profitis Elias of island Rodos -  Forest
16. Paranesti Drama - Virgin forest

Area of strictly protected forest reserves

Area of forest and other forest land that is protected by a special management regime

Natura 2000 sites

Nowadays in Greece 262 areas have been classified and inventoried that meet the requirements to be characterized as NATURA 2000 sites. These sites cover 22 % of the total Greek area and are divided into three main categories:
1.    Mountainous and inland NATURA 2000 sites mainly consisted of big mountains and small hills, gorges e.t.c. which are far from coasts and wetlands.
2.    NATURA 2000 wetlands like lakes, lagoons, rivers, swamps e.t.c.
3.    Island and coastal NATURA 2000 sites, where the dominant element is coast but often as well the island’s inland or even small islands as a whole.
Each unit contains a catalogue of all kinds of protected ecotypes that a visitor can meet as well as lists of rare and protected flora and fauna, according to the E.U Directives 79/409 and 92/43.
In Greece, there are 110 ecotypes of Annex I of the Directive, 39 plant species (flora) and 76 animal species (fauna) of Annex II. Based on the distribution of these ecotypes and species in Greece, 262 sites were recorded within which there are some of these habitats and some of these species. It’s worth noting that 151 of these sites have been declared by our country as Special Protected Areas and 240 as Sites of Community Importance. From these figures can be concluded that many sites have been identified as having both properties. The total surface of these sites is estimated to be 30,000 km2. From the above mentioned area (30,000 km2), 6,000 km2 are sea and 15,000 km2 inland waters. Land sites, including inland waters, cover 18.2 % of the total area of Greece.