PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Pindos mountain range, in north-eastern Greece, is one of the country's best-preserved mountainous areas. The Northern Pindos National Park (established in 2003) includes two “older” national parks - Pindos and Vikos-Aoös - as well as various wildlife refuges. It consists of five pSCIs in total (two of which are also SPAs). The entire area has a very high biodiversity value; about 80% of it is covered by lush forests, 10% by grasslands and 4% by agricultural land. The area hosts a number of species and habitats of community interest: it’s most illustrious “guest” is the brown bear, which is an excellent biological indicator for the conservation status of the ecosystems; Northern Pindos is one of the three areas in Greece hosting brown bear populations. A previous LIFE Nature project focusing on the brown bear (LIFE96 NAT/GR/003222) established a good basis for the conservation and management of the species and habitats by implementing field actions, and by drafting a management plan for the national park. The main threats to the park's habitats come from unsustainable timber extraction and (deliberate and/or accidental) forest fires. The brown bear still faces the threat of human-caused mortality, even if this threat has diminished in recent years. The impact of logging and forest fires on its favoured habitats are other significant threats. Finally, both habitats and the bear are affected by a lack of awareness of the need for conservation and an uncontrolled influx of visitors.
OBJECTIVES
The project aimed to contribute to the start-up process and operation of the protected area. The project would in particular target one priority species (Ursus arctos) and two priority habitat types (Mediterranean pine forests with endemic black pines and Tilio-Acerion forests). The majority of the measures foreseen were based on a management plan that would be drafted by the project. The following results were expected:
- To maintain human-caused bear mortality at <4% of the estimated minimum bear population of the project area;
- To maintain 10-15% of bear habitat surface within the pilot sectors of black pine forests undisturbed from intensive sylvicultural practices and related infrastructure;
- To maintain the entire area of Tilio-Acerion forests undisturbed;
- For the competent management authorities to improve target habitats and the species monitoring system and to better control the forest road network;
- To improve the information and awareness level of specific target groups;
- To promote innovative sylvicultural practices by the forestry service in order to improve the sustainable management of black pine forests;
- To improve detection and neutralisation mechanisms for criminal and/or accidental forest fires in the black pine forests; and
- To control visitor numbers according to the conservation needs of the target species and habitats.
RESULTS
The project was suspended by the Commission in April 2004 and later terminated as a result of significant managerial problems affecting the beneficiary. The project was suspended by the Commission in April 2004 and later terminated as a result of significant managerial problems affecting the beneficiary.
