Ecosystem investigation

Group 4

Management and human impact

1. Status and ownershipThe area from Platanakia to Thermi’s artificial lake is owned by the municipalities of Panorama and Thermi.

City of Panorama

Platanakia

City of Thermi

Thermi A.lake and dam

MacedoniaAirport

2.brief description

• In our area with notice three ecotypes:• A.Intermittently flowing mediterranean

rivers• B.Maquis type of vegetation around the

intermittently flowing creeks• C.Ecotype of artificial lake.

3.Use of the area and human activities.

There are a lot human activities in our investigation area. People go there to enjoy nature by hiking ,birdwatching or observing nature used for motocross races. Furthermore there is a settled police shooting training terrain and a camp with airforce fuels.

Nature and bird watching

Sheep and Goat grazing

Motocross and other sports activities

Deep in the heart of area you can hear a lot of noise coming from motorbikes especially during weekends disturbing not only humans Also wildlife

There is even hunter’s recreation hut!

We didn’t hear any hunter’s shooting. The are just having BBQ’s and lots of drinks…..

…we did hear shooting from the police training terrain

Unfortunately some people don’t seem to be sensitive on waste disposal

Invasive species

Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared terrapin) is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and also popular in the rest of the world. It is native only to the southern United States, but has become established in other places because of pet releases and has become an invasive species in many introduced areas like our investigation area where it outcompetes the native terrapins Mauremys caspica . Red-eared sliders get their name from the distinctive red patch of skin around their ears.

Mauremys caspica

Trachemys scripta elegans

Trachemys scripta elegans

Oxalis pes caprae

Indigenous to South Africa, Oxalis pes-caprae, the "Bermuda buttercup", is a highly invasive species and noxious weed in many other parts of the world, including the United States, Europe, Israel and Australia.

Solanum elaeagnifolium

Fruits and flower of Solanum elaeagnifolium

The invasion of Solanum elaeagnifolium

is a relatively new story related to the area of our school. People call it “German” because they believe

it come during WWII. According to Pr.Lavrendiadis Solanum

eleagnifolium invaded Greece just after WWII. Seeds of this native to Texas plant were found inside the

American aid for Greek cattle send to the American farm School of

Thessaloniki which is located very close to our school. This is where

this alien species started its dispersal in Greece.

4.Evaluation

As it concerns pollution, we derive from the presence of some indicator species, like that of pollution tollerant Tanypus sp. Larva, that our ecosystem may have pollution problem. We don’t have an estimate on larva numbers but a high value would mean that we have oxygen depletion problem.

Our research has indicated that our ecosystem is characterized by high biodiversity. It suffers from the presence of alien invasive species like that of Trachemys scripta elegans terrapins which domimates over the native species by 80-20 percentage according to our rough estimate.

Tanypus sp. larva

5.Future proposals

o The local authorities and locals should undertake action to minimize the presence of litter at least the nature trail by the stream

o Schools should organize programs to promote the natural beauty, biodiversity of the area and use it in educational purposes.

o Environmental organizations should also take place in this effort and promote it as in important wildlife pocket in the city of Thessaloniki.

o Finally, personal willingness and individual initiatives is the most important factors that could change the present situation.

GROUP 4: Ecosystem Management and

Human Impact.

1. Athina Savvidou2. Elsa karatzoglou3. Ersi Emmanouilidou