Natura 2000 in Hellas

Site Code:     GR4210001	Type:      B
Longtitude:     26o 54 52	Latitude:     37o 33 39
Administrative Region:     Notio Aigaio	Prefecture:     Dodekanisos
Altitude (m):     250	Area (ha):     15730

Description:

The site is located east of Crete, between the islands of Crete and Karpathos. It includes the island of Kasos, its surrounding small islands and the marine area that is included up to the depth curve of 50 m (the marine part covers 2% of the site). It is the southernmost island group of Dodekanisos archipelagos and it comprises 14 small islands and islets; the most important of them are: Armathia, Kariofila, Porioni, Mikro Pontikonisi, Megalo Pontikonisi and Lytra. The largest one (Armathia) with an area of 2567 km 2 and maximum altitude 111 m, lies NW of Kasos. The smallest one (Porion) with an area 21 km 2 lies between the islands of Armathia and Makronisi. The island of Kasos (with maximum altitude 597 m), can be considered as a typical example of environmental downgrading. It is characterized by areas occupied by phrygana of a bad state, due to the intensive grazing. The predominant plant species are Sarcopoterium spinosum, Thymus capitatus and Genista acanthothamnos; only in the SW part of the island (Avlaki bay) there is a small area with Juniperus phoenicea, which has also been overgrazed. Moreover, there is locally restricted cultivation, occupying different parts on the island. The extensive sea-cliffs around the island, are in an excellent condition. Since 1980 there has been an extremely uncontrolled increase in the number of goats and sheeps, that stretches the ability of the ecosystem to overcome. This event has affected the soil and the vegetation adversely; the original maquis have been downgraded to phrygana, the abandoned cultivation has also been occupied by phrygana, the slopes of the mountains have been stripped of their vegetation and the soil has become eroded. The small island of Armathia, is distinguished for the abandoned cultivations at the coastal areas, which have been colonized by phrygana (Thymus capitatus and Limonium graecum), while in the interior of the island and along their slopes there is a formation of Juniperus phoenicea. Nowadays, the grazing is not so intense at this part of the site (Armathia island), so there is a remarkable regeneration of Juniperus phoenicea. There are also sand dunes (of a bad state, with Limonium graecum and Teucrium gracile), shallow inlets and bays and at the western end there is a small lake. On the islet of Makronisi there are saltmarsh scrubs (on the coastal area) and phrygana (in the interior of the island). The islet of Lytra is still under overgrazing. There are phrygana and flattened sea-cliffs. The rest of the islets are characterized by sea cliffs and halophilus vegetation.

Habitat Types:

Posidonia beds, Lagoons, Large shallow inlets and bays, Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts (with endemic Limonium spp.), Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand, Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (Arthrocnemetalia fructicosae), Salt steppes (Limonietalia), Gypsum steppes (Gypsophiletalia), Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria, Mediterranean temporary ponds, Intermittently flowing Mediterranean rivers, Juniperus phoenicea arborescent matorral, Diss-dominated garrigues, Aegean phrygana (Sarcopoterium spinosum), Balkan screes, Aegean calcareous cliffs, Pioneer vegetation of rock surfaces, Caves not open to the public.

Plant Species:

Silene holzmannii.

Animal Species:

Monachus monachus, Mertensiella luschani.

Other important species:

-Flora: 34B, 4C, 18D -Fauna: 9B

Impacts/Activities:

-Positive: - -Neutral: 120, 130, 220, 403, 501, 504, 621 (IN) -Negative: 100, 110, 140, 210, 230, 240, 250, 421, 900, 948 (IN)

Protection Status:

-National and Regional level: - -International level: IBA

Significance:

The quality and importance of the site result from the following elements: 1) The island of Kasos is very important for the avifauna of Greece. It is designated as Important Bird Area in Europe. Moreover, it is very important for its invertebrate subfossils (especially terrestrial molluscs subfossils). 2) The small island of Armathia is of great aesthetic value. Also, there is remarkable regeneration of Juniperus phoenicea, which means that this habitat follows an upgrade process and it must be protected. 3) In the small island of Armathia as well as in the most of the islets, the human impact is very restricted nowadays. 4) There are many other rare and endemic species of plants and animals. In general terms, the whole of the site is of great aesthetic value featuring also a variety of habitat types remarkable for their representativity as well as for their conservation status.