Agricultural activities affecting the functions and values of Ramsar wetland sites of Greece

Gerakis, Argyrios; Kalburtji, Kiriaki L.

doi:10.1016/s0167-8809(98)00119-4

Cited by 63 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Wetland ecosystems depend to a significant degree on the sustainability of agro-ecosystems in Mediterranean countries (Llamas and Martinez-Santos 2005;Llamas 2000;Gerakis and Kalburtji 1998), and they have been seriously affected by irrigation schemes and individual farmers using groundwater resources. In some countries, habitats' conservation and agriculture are becoming irreconcilable interests (Hellegers et al 2001).…”

Section: Water Scarcity Pressuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards adaptation of agriculture to climate change in the Mediterranean

et al. 2010

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This study links climate change impacts to the development of adaptation strategies for agriculture on the Mediterranean region. Climate change is expected to intensify the existing risks, particularly in regions with current water scarcity, and create new opportunities for improving land and water management. These risks and opportunities are characterised and interpreted across Mediterranean areas by analysing water scarcity pressures and potential impacts on crop productivity over the next decades. The need to respond to these risks and opportunities is addressed by evaluating an adaptive capacity index that represents the ability of Mediterranean agriculture to respond to climate change. We propose an adaptive capacity index with three major components that characterise the economic capacity, human and civic resources, and agricultural innovation. These results aim to assist stakeholders as they take up the adaptation challenge and develop measures to reduce the vulnerability of the sector to climate change.

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Section: Water Scarcity Pressuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards adaptation of agriculture to climate change in the Mediterranean

et al. 2010

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“…Fertile soils and availability of irrigation are among the main factors supporting intensified agriculture which in its turn, stresses wetland functions (GERAKIS and KALBURTJI 1998). A considerable area of wetland ecosystems has been lost over the last decades in the northern Mediterranean region with the major threat consisting of the alteration in their hydrological status to provide for the needs of farming (BRINSON and MALVÁREZ 2002) as well as of direct loss of wetland area (ZALIDIS et al 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The latter specifically affected more than 50% of Greek marshes and estuaries (ZALIDIS et al 1997). Given the ecological importance of wetlands, alongside their over-exploitation, especially in Greece (ZALIDIS et al 1997, GERAKIS and KALBURTJI 1998, SMARDON 2009, it is not surprising that the development of protection and restoration strategies accompanied by appropriate legislation gained importance at both international and national levels (SMARDON 2009). The tight relation between restoration and vegetation succession explains why the latter is widely discussed in the relevant literature (ROOZEN and WESTHOFF 1985, ROSSELL et al 2009, MATTHEWS and ENDRESS 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Succession rates and patterns twelve years after land use abandonment in the estuary of the river aliakmon, n. greece

Xystrakis¹,

Theodoropoulos²,

Eleftheriadou³

et al. 2014

Acta Botanica Croatica

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-Vegetation succession is a key element for research studying biodiversity losses, effects of climatic change on ecosystems, invasive species and restoration of ecosystems in which human activities have shifted their natural or semi-natural vegetation. Surrogate variables like Pignatti's bioindicator values or dissimilarity indices can provide further insights regarding succession trajectories aggregating the combined effects of changes in the cover/abundance of taxa. The land-use abandonment in an area in the estuary of the River Aliakmon, N. Greece, provides an opportunity to study medium-term rates and patterns during the first twelve years of vegetation succession. Cluster and time-series analyses of turnover rates, Sørensen's dissimilarity index and Pignatti's bioindicator values revealed clear differences in succession patterns and rates among permanent plots. Succession rates and patterns in the study area were found to be dominated by two ecological factors. On the one hand, availability of fresh water, assumed by the proximity to the river, allows the fast growing Populus alba to develop a forest canopy that radically alters the shading environment which, in its turn, controls succession trajectories. Increased soil salinity on the other hand, allows salt-tolerant taxa to be quickly established, and defines the species inventory on these sites as early as the first years of succession.

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“…Wetlands perform a number of major functions in the hydrological cycle of the planet (Bullock and Acreman 2003) and are associated with a diverse and complex array of direct and indirect uses and services, such as: provision of fish, timber and crops (categorized as provisioning services) (Emerton and Bos 2004); flood water retention, groundwater recharge, nutrient reduction and improvement of water quality (categorized as regulating services) (MEA 2005b, Wang et al 2006; primary productivity, nutrient cycling and nursery refugia (categorized as supporting services); and ecotourism and birdwatching (categorized as cultural services) (De Groot et al 2002). In addition, wetlands are important habitats for local species and for aquatic and terrestrial migratory species Kaberger 1991, Gerakis andKalburtji 1998).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary direct drivers of inland wetlands degradation and loss include land conversion, infrastructure development, water withdrawal, pollution, the introduction of invasive alien species and overexploitation (MEA 2005a, Levin et al 2009). Degradation of many of the world's wetland systems is still increasing, and more and more of them are converted, for instance, to agricultural use (Gerakis andKarbutji 1998, Wang et al 2006). Conversion of wetlands can be considered synonymous with complete loss of natural wetland functions and benefits (Hollis 1990, Dixon 2003; in areas where water is 2 Spatial scale refers to whether the trade-off 's effects are felt locally or at a distant location; temporal scale refers to whether the effects take place rapidly or slowly; reversibility expresses the likelihood that the perturbed ES may return to its original state if the perturbation ceases (Rodriguez et al 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%