Natura 2000 in Hellas

Site Code:     GR2220003	Type:      B
Longtitude:     20o 50 10	Latitude:     39o 39 49
Administrative Region:     Ionia Nisia	Prefecture:     Kefallinia
Altitude (m):     0	Area (ha):     88768

Description:

Three main Ionian islands, Lefkada, Ithaki and Kefalonia and the continental Greece (Sterea Ellada) delimit geographically from West, North and East an important archipelago of 36 mostly uninhabited islets and small islands. Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos and Scorpios, i.e. the three biggest islands and a small private one, are the only inhabited approximately 1500 persons in total. The geomorphology of these islands coasts create various habitats for the marine and also terrestrial flora and fauna. In the sheltered waters of the archipelago, important marine predator species on the top of the food chain are resident or common, indicating the biological richness of the area. The site boundaries are determined by the Doukato cape of Lefkada island (88 0 33 90 N - 20 0 32 50 E), the marine geographical points 38 0 32 00 N - 20 0 43 25 E, 38 0 28 00 N - 20 0 48 25 E, 38 0 16 75 N - 21 0 06 00 E, the continental coast point 38 0 18 00 N - 21 0 09 50 E, the continental coast, the south entrance of Lefkada channel and the cost of Lefkada. The site also includes the land of Echinades islands and a 50m wide coast land of all the other islands. The land of Echinades island geologically belongs to the Upper Triassic-Lower and Middle hias zone wich is characterized by Pantocrator limestones.

Habitat Types:

Posidonia beds, Large shallow inlets and bays, Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts (with endemic Limonium spp.), Juniperus phoenicae arborescent matorral, Tree-spurge formations, Diss-dominated garrigues, Aegean phrygana (Sarcopoterium spinosum), Submerged or partly submerged sea caves, Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines.

Plant Species:

There is no information about plant species of this region.

Animal Species:

Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus blasii, Myotis blythi, Myotis capaccinii, Tursiops truncatus, Monachus monachus, Testudo hermanni, Elaphe quatuorlineata.

Other important species:

-Flora: 1B, 1D -Fauna: 1A, 5C, 2D

Impacts/Activities:

-Positive: - -Neutral: 210, 211, 221, 621 (IN) -Negative: 212, 213, 220, 230, 242, 290, 620, 690 (IN) / 520 (AR)

Protection Status:

-National and Regional level: - -International level: Ramsar Convention site

Significance:

The faunistic importance of this site is evident. The marine environment of the site offers refuge to many important top predator species indicating the biological richness of the area. Monk seals (Monachus monachus), Bottle-nosed dolphins (Tunsiops truncatus), Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and various shark species are resident or common elements of the local marine fauna. The coasts submerged or partly submerged sea caves are an ideal habitat for monk seals. That's the reason why they constitute one of the most important spots of the national territory (and the Mediterranean in general) for the most threatened with extinction mammal in Europe (Monachus monachus). Two other extremely important marine species, the coastal small cetaceans Tunsiops truncatus (an Annex II Directive 92/43/EEC species) and Delphinus delphis are sympatric in the site's sea area.