Olga Christopoulou

An overview of urban-rural land use interactions in Greece

Purpose: The present paper focuses on investigating the principal land use changes in Greece from 1971-1991 and attempts to uncover possible interactions between urban, rural and forest uses. Findings: The interactions do not remain stable in their direction (positive or negative) and importance (high of low) for the two time periods that have been investigated. Practical implications: The correlation analysis can provide useful insights concerning the proximate and underlying causes of land use change. Originality/value: There are no papers investigating land use changes in Greece in the prefectural administrative level covering the whole country.

Mapping the optimal forest road network based on the multicriteria evaluation technique: the case study of Mediterranean Island of Thassos in Greece

The sustainable management of forest resources can only be achieved through a well-organized road network designed with the optimal spatial planning and the minimum environmental impacts. This paper describes the spatial layout mapping for the optimal forest road network and the environmental impacts evaluation that are caused to the natural environment based on the multicriteria evaluation (MCE) technique at the Mediterranean island of Thassos in Greece. Data analysis and its presentation are achieved through a spatial decision support system using the MCE method with the contribution of geographic information systems (GIS). With the use of the MCE technique, we evaluated the human impact intensity to the forest ecosystem as well as the ecosystem’s absorption from the impacts that are caused from the forest roads’ construction. For the human impact intensity evaluation, the criteria that were used are as follows: the forest’s protection percentage, the forest road density, the applied skidding means (with either the use of tractors or the cable logging systems in timber skidding), the timber skidding direction, the visitors’ number and truck load, the distance between forest roads and streams, the distance between forest roads and the forest boundaries, and the probability that the forest roads are located on sights with unstable soils. In addition, for the ecosystem’s absorption evaluation, we used forestry, topographical, and social criteria. The recommended MCE technique which is described in this study provides a powerful, useful, and easy-to-use implement in order to combine the sustainable utilization of natural resources and the environmental protection in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Planning of human activities based on the views of local authorities in protected areas: the case of Mountain Pelion, Greece.

The subject of this paper is the research into the opinions of the local authorities in the region of Pelion, which is a part of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, with regard to zoning and planning in the region. In particular, the objectives of the present research are: local authorities’ views on current planning and zoning (positive and negative), and on theories for future planning and zoning and the desirability/undesirability of their outcomes; the problems (developmental, environmental and social problems concerning the implementation of Natura 2000) faced in the area; the targets local communities would like to see accomplished by Natura 2000 and their suggestions on how these targets could be achieved; and how to solve local problems. The findings and the conclusions of this research reveal a conflict between policymakers and local communities. Much closer collaboration between the two is required before any long-term policy of development can have any chance of success. From this research it was found that local authorities propose: (a) zoning with moderate levels of protection, (b) terms and conditions of protection which focus on hunting and tree-felling and (c) mixed management teams (European, state and local agents.)

Characteristics Of Tourism Development In Mountainous Regions Using Categorical Regression: The Case Of Metsovo (greece)

Leisure and tourism activities conceived as part of the developmental process of particular areas or regions can contribute to their economic growth to varying degrees of intensity so that they can be attainable and/or desirable. The exploitation of national resources is of great economic value in promoting tourism development in the provincial and underdeveloped areas of Greece. An evaluation of the factors that contribute to the growth of tourism in these regions would be useful in decision making and planning as far as their development is concerned. Such an interesting region from a tourism perspective, with many individual characteristics is the region of Metsovo, which belongs to Epirus, one of the poorest EU regions. However, Metsovo has recently presented a dynamic image since the region’s natural resources and rich cultural heritage (many Greek benefactors originated from here), along with its farming products with designation of origin, have created major prospects for the promotion of tourism. The present research was carried out using a structured questionnaire and cluster sampling involving visitors staying in local hotels. The collected data were elaborated using the SPSS v. 11.0 statistical program. Descriptive statistics and categorical regression were used to analyse the relevant data. The main conclusions have shown that the profile of visitors to Metsovo can be summarized using the following characteristics: relatively young, minimum secondary school graduates and belonging to the upper social classes ( judged by their profession). In addition, for more than half of the visitors the region of Metsovo is their permanent holiday location, primarily for relaxation purposes. The main problems that visitors face in the region of Metsovo relate to the lack of parking areas and cleanliness. Visitors with a higher level of education and/or income choose to visit Metsovo during public holidays or weekends; they also show a tendency to spend more money in comparison to the rest of the visitors. Finally, visitors who describe the surrounding countryside as nice or very nice are characterized by a higher professional and educational standing.

Review of state-of-the-art decision support systems (DSSs) for prevention and suppression of forest fires

Forest ecosystems are our priceless natural resource and are a key component of the global carbon budget. Forest fires can be a hazard to the viability and sustainable management of forests with consequences for natural and cultural environments, economies, and the life quality of local and regional populations. Thus, the selection of strategies to manage forest fires, while considering both functional and economic efficiency, is of primary importance. The use of decision support systems (DSSs) by managers of forest fires has rapidly increased. This has strengthened capacity to prevent and suppress forest fires while protecting human lives and property. DSSs are a tool that can benefit incident management and decision making and policy, especially for emergencies such as natural disasters. In this study we reviewed state-of-the-art DSSs that use: database management systems and mathematical/economic algorithms for spatial optimization of firefighting forces; forest fire simulators and satellite technology for immediate detection and prediction of evolution of forest fires; GIS platforms that incorporate several tools to manipulate, process and analyze geographic data and develop strategic and operational plans.

Winter Tourism, Development of Mountainous Areas and Visitors' Attitudes Towards Landscape Protection

ABSTRACT The main objective of this investigation is the evaluation of the demand for mountain tourism at the Pertouli ski-centre and in the surrounding communities of the municipality of Aethikes. The research shows that the contribution of the ski-centres operation is of significant importance to the development of the surrounding mountainous area. In addition, an examination the factors which affect demand for the ski centre over a period of time reveals that this demand varies according to some factors (income, job), and is stable according to some other factors (skiing or visiting, distance). The visitors are willing to contribute to the landscape conservation by making cash donations and/or active participation in conservation projects.

Optimal Number and Location of Watchtowers for Immediate Detection of Forest Fires in a Small Island

A crucial factor for prevention and immediate confrontation of destructive fires and their socioeconomic and environmental consequences constitutes the early detection and spatial localization of fire ignitions, so that the firefighting forces to be activated and act within the critical time of response. Thus, principal objective of the paper constitutes the spatial optimization of the most effective locations of watchtowers developing a constructive network for the immediate and early detection of forest fires. This optimization involves the exploration of the fewest locations for watchtowers with the maximum visible area and reduced degree of overlapping. The results highlighted 4 groups of watchtowers (20 observers in total) determining the optimum locations. The total visibility amounted to 70% of the island, while the visibility percentages per land cover are variable, since they are depended on the spatial structure of them. Definitely, the final selection of the final number and the spatial structure of the watchtowers purely constitute decisions of political nature and will.

Determination of fire risk to assist fire management for insular areas: the case of a small Greek island

Forest fire risk estimation constitutes an essential process to prevent high-intensity fires which are associated with severe implications to the natural and cultural environment. The primary aim of this research was to determine fire risk levels based on the local features of an island, namely, the impact of fuel structures, slope, aspects, as well as the impact of the road network and inhabited regions. The contribution of all the involved factors to forest fires ignition and behavior highlight certain regions which are highly vulnerable. In addition, the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors to forest fire phenomena is explored. In this study, natural factors play a dominant role compared to anthropogenic factors. Hence essential preventative measures must focus on specific areas and established immediately. Indicative measures may include: the optimal allocation of watchtowers as well as the spatial optimization of mobile firefighting vehicles; and, forest fuel treatments in areas characterized by extremely high fire risk. The added value of this fire prediction tool is that it is highly flexible and could be adopted elsewhere with the necessary adjustments to local characteristics.

An eco-efficient and economical optimum evaluation technique for the forest road networks: the case of the mountainous forest of Metsovo, Greece

The sustainable forest management can be achieved only through environmentally sound and economically efficient and feasible forest road networks and transportation systems that can potentially improve the multi-functional use of forest resources. However, road network planning and construction suggest long-term finance that require a capital investment (cash outflow), which would be equal to the value of the total revenue flow (cash inflow) over the whole lifecycle project. This paper emphasizes in an eco-efficient and economical optimum evaluation method for the forest road networks in the mountainous forest of Metsovo, Greece. More specifically, with the use of this technique, we evaluated the forest roads’ (a) total construction costs, (b) annual maintenance cost, and (c) log skidding cost. In addition, we estimated the total economic value of forest goods and services that are lost from the forest roads’ construction. Finally, we assessed the optimum eco-efficient and economical forest roads densities based on linear equations that stem from the internal rate of return method (IRR) and have been presented graphically. Data analysis and its presentation are achieved with the contribution of geographic information systems (GIS). The technique which is described in this study can be for the decision makers an attractive and useful implement in order to select the most eco-friendly and economical optimum solution to plan forest road network or to evaluate the existing forest transportation systems. Hence, with the use of this method, we can combine not only the multi-objective utilization of natural resources but also the environmental protection of forest ecosystems.

VIEWS AND ATTITUDES OF FARMERS/LIVESTOCK BREEDERS AND LOCAL COMMUNITY CONCERNING CONSERVATION OF THE LESSER KE

The Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and the Red Data Book of Greece and listed in Annex I of the EU Wild Birds Directive. The species is a migratory small falcon wintering in Africa, south of Sahara and breeding from south Europe, through Balkans and Turkey, to central Asia. It breeds colonially in buildings inside the villages and feeds on insects (mainly large Orthoptera) in farmland, grasslands, meadows and fallow land. The main part of its population in Greece breeds in the villages of Thessaly plain. It interacts with inhabitants in the nesting sites and farmers and livestock breeders in farms and grasslands/meadows, receiving the effects of applied farming practices. Species ecology depends on the activities of the local population, so their actions and opinions are critical to its conservation and survival. Purpose of the study was to investigate the awareness and attitudes of farmers, livestock breeders and local people regarding practices affecting the conservation of the species. The study took place in villages hosting the most numerous colonies of the species. A number of 250 farmers, livestock breeders and local people were interviewed through a questionnaire structured on 25 questions, 5 of which were asking personal information, while the rest 20 the following data: a) awareness about the species protection status, b) adoption of particular rules on agricultural and livestock practices set by the Life Project concerning the Lesser Kestrel, c) voluntary contribution to conservation activities for the species. Out of 250 questionnaires distributed, 210 were valid. The general conclusion was that the majority of the people interviewed was aware of the species breeding and feeding needs and has a positive attitude to the presence of the species in their farms and buildings. Moreover, they are willing to apply practices that contribute to securing further favourable conditions for the species.