PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Mountains and forests are prominent features of the Greek landscape. Forest areas cover half of the surface of the country, with high forests accounting for 30.2% and wooded land another 20.5%. High forests have shown some increase since 1990, while wooded land has decreased. Around 77% of forest areas are publicly owned, with the church, municipalities and individuals owning the remaining 23%. Some 43% of the terrestrial SCIs are covered by forest habitat listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive. The main environmental problem is the degradation of the conservation status of a number of forest habitat types in Natura 2000 areas due to the lack of guidance and knowledge from some groups of users to maintain or restore the full spectrum of habitat types’ biodiversity. Furthermore, management of Greek forests need adaptation to climate change and new financial resources for the actions necessary to face these problems.
These are the outcome of one of the seminars of the Mediterranean Biogeographic process held in Thessaloniki from 26-28 May, 2014. The forest habitat types that were assessed during this seminar include the forest habitat types 9260, 9320, 9340, 9540, 92A0 and 92D0. The main issues identified were poor management, land use change, fragmentation, disturbance by recreation, diseases, climate change, changes in hydrological conditions, access to financing, and invasive alien species. Some of the management practices discussed include longer rotation periods, abandonment of coppicing, defragmentation, reducing of high densities, and communication and information aimed at forest users to increase acceptance of measures to reduce human disturbance.
To address these problems, the promotion of exchanges of best practices and the development of skills of Natura2000 managers was recommended. Identification of knowledge gaps, promotion of communication between scientists and other stakeholders, the establishment of a portal on Natura 2000 forest spatial information, with guidance material on effective fund management and innovative financing mechanisms
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE ForestLife project aimed to support exchanges of best practice and the development of skills of forest Natura 2000 managers in Greece. Specific objectives were:
- facilitation of knowledge sharing through the development of an online Collaboration Platform for Forests;
- development of skills of forest-related target groups through training;
- increases in the capacity of forest managers through provision of tools that aim to reduce human disturbance from forest users, to support and exchange experience and best practice, and to enhance cooperation.
RESULTS
The project created an online Collaboration Platform for Forests (CPF) that offers forest management information and geospatial data to Forest Services and other stakeholders through E-Library and Knowledge base tools. This platform serves as a central hub for the Greek Forest Community and policymakers involved in Natura 2000 forests in Greece, enhancing their knowledge and expertise in supporting conservation and sustainable management practices. Additionally, the platform features communication tools and a discussion forum to facilitate knowledge sharing on best practices and experiences regarding forests in the Natura 2000 network, promoting collaborations among users.
The application 'Forest LIFE' and accompanying e-book 'The Forests of Greece' were designed to provide detailed information on 88 selected Greek forests, including data on biodiversity, conservation status, cultural significance, hiking trails, and points of interest for visitors. These tools aim to raise awareness among target audiences and the general public about the importance of Greek forests, as well as to promote lesser-known destinations. By encouraging visits to less-visited areas, these resources have a positive impact on local communities and help mitigate pressures and threats to more popular national forest locations due to increased tourism activities.
The promotion of skill development among forest-related target groups and stakeholders was facilitated through the organisation of six capacity-building seminars focusing on five key themes in forest management (management measures, climate change adaptation, oak forest restoration, visitor management, and financing). Over 800 participants from various regions and stakeholders in Greece participated in these seminars.
The tools and seminars created have increased the awareness of conservation needs among the Greek forest community within the Natura 2000 network. They have also facilitated knowledge sharing and access to experiences and best practices repositories, as well as improved skills and promoted cooperation. The success of the LIFE ForestLife project can be attributed in large part to the initial assessment conducted among the project's target groups through questionnaire surveys, interviews, and focus groups held throughout the country, which provided crucial insights into the forest management needs in Greece and guided the project's key outputs.
Extensive dissemination activities have promoted changes in attitudes and behaviour of target groups and the general public towards more environmentally friendly actions, contributing to the compliance of environmental legislation in forest Natura 2000 sites.
The tools developed through the project will continue operating after the end of the project to facilitate collaborations among forest managers and to enhance conservation and sustainable management of Natura 2000 forests. Furthermore, the e-App will continue to offer permanent social and economic advantages to local communities residing in forested regions, while findings will be used in the context of future projects.
A tangible impact of the project was the inclusion of requirements related to biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites and the incorporation of measures addressing climate change adaption in the new official and mandatory standards for forest management plans and the National Strategy for Forests.
