NATURA 2000 - STANDARD DATA FORM
For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
| SITE | GR1420007 |
|---|
| SITENAME | OROS OSSA |
|---|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
Back to top1.1 Type
1.2 Site code
1.3 Site name
1.4 First Compilation date
1.5 Update date
1.6 Respondent:
| Name/Organisation: | Υπουργείο Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας |
| Address: |
|
| Email: | |
1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates
| Date site classified as SPA: | 1987-10 |
| National legal reference of SPA designation | JMD HP 37338/1807/E103/6-9-2010 (OJ 1495 B) |
2. SITE LOCATION
Back to top2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:
| Longitude: | 22.689722 |
| Latitude: | 39.818333 |
2.2 Area [ha]
2.3 Marine area [%]
2.4 Sitelength [km]:
2.5 Administrative region code and name
|
NUTS level 2 code
|
Region Name
|
|---|
| GR14 | Thessalia |
2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)
3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
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No data
4. SITE DESCRIPTION
Back to top4.1 General site character
|
Habitat class
|
% Cover
|
|---|
| N08 | 12.00 |
| N10 | 15.00 |
| N16 | 60.00 |
| N17 | 2.00 |
| N19 | 7.00 |
| N21 | 1.00 |
| N23 | 3.00 |
Total Habitat Cover | 100 |
|---|
Other Site Characteristics
| The site contains the forest complex of the north-eastern side of Ossa mountain; it starts from the sea level and goes up to the highest summit, Profitis Ilias (1980 m). The summit is bare rock and the existing vegetation belongs to the Astragalo-Daphnion. At the lower altitudes the main vegetation type is the broad-leaved evergreen woodland. Here the majority of the relevant species that grow in Greece like Acer sp., Quercus sp., Corrylus sp., Arbutus sp., Erica sp., Fraxinus sp., Phillyrea sp., Ulmus sp., Cornus sp. etc are found. At higher altitudes the human impact is distinctive since the control and grafting of Castanea sativa have lead to pure groups of the species, especially in the parts of the forest that belong to the local communities. The trees are used mainly for chestnut collection and less for their wood. Where the human impact is lighter Castanea grows together with Tilia in a typical Tilio-Castanetum at 300 - 500m (described by habitat type 9180 and characterized by Tilia tomentosa).The next vegetation level, reaching up to the 650m, is Quercetum-montanum with Quercus species, mainly Q. conferta, Q. sessiliflora and Q. pubescens. Beech forests with hungarian oak (habitat type 9280) are encountered over Quercion ilicis at the slopes that face the sea and over Ostryo-carpinion orientalis at the areas away from the sea. Quercus forests are also found at altitudes of 200 - 300 in the wet regions of Ossa.At higher altitudes (650 - 1600m) we find psychrophilous, hydrophilous vegetation. The dominant forest species is the beech; Fagus moesiaca together with F. sylvatica and F. orientalis at the higher and lower altitudes respectively. In Ossa, as well as in the rest of East Thessaly, the limit of Fagion moesiacae is not the line of summer cloud formations (as it is in Albania, for example); small formations of Fagus sp. are found in ravines even at altitudes as low as 280 m. The pure beech forest becomes mixed in the zone of 1000 - 1450 m where Fagus trees are found together with fir-trees (Abies borisii-regis). There is also Abies cephallonica forest (the endemic greek fir) covering a small part of the site (Corine code 42.18, a habitat type not included in Annex I). The Abies forest was in recess during the last years because of its exploitation, but recently it has started to reestablish itself. Above the end of the forest line is the subalpine zone with a great variety of species.On Ossa there are also found Carpinus orientalis, ravine forests of Aesculus orientalis and formations of Pteridium aquilinun and Berberis cretica. At low percentages there are also some broad-leaved species such as Acer, Sorbus, Fraxinus and riverside vegetation along the streams. NOTE ON BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGION: Ossa mountain, characterized Quercion cerris and Fagetalia, could be considered part of the sub-continental and continental biogeographic region.NOTE ON FAGUS1. Strid A. 1986. Mountain Flora of Greece, 1:51. In Greece there is Fagus sylvatica ssp. sylvatica (above 1000 m in Greek mainland southwards to Oxia and Pilion). F. sylvatica ssp. orientalis is a closely related subspecies and intermediate froms (often called F. moesiaca) occur where the two subspecies meet (e.g., Balkan peninsula). Typical F. sylvatica ssp. sylvatica is found in western and central districts above 1000 m, while intermediate forms resembling F. sylvatica ssp. orientalis occur below 1000 m.2. Med-Checklist 3:225. Three subspecies of Fagus sylvatica are recognized, ssp. sylvatica, ssp. moesiaca and ssp. orientalis, all occuring in Greece (Gr).3. Flora Europaea, 1:72. Two subsepcies of Fagus sylvatica are recognized, ssp. sylvatica and ssp. orientalis, both occuring in Greece. Fagus moesiaca is considered an intermediate form between the two subspecies. |
4.2 Quality and importance
| The aesthetic forest of Ossa is a real botanical garden. The favorable environmental and climatic conditions of the area and namely the high percentage of rainfall, a result of the eastern winds, have lead to the remarkable forest complex of Ossa. The landscape and the geomorphology of the site are interesting since they create locally numerous special habitats that lead to high biodiversity in the vegetation types, in the flora and in the fauna. The complex presents an exceptional variety of habitats and plant species. It has an alternating landscape with extensive closed forests of beech and fir on the eastern side and small fields on the plateau, while the summit is bare rock. The Ossa complex is mainly composed of pure and mixed woodland of broad-leaved trees as well as broad-leaved and coniferous trees. The soil is very good for forestry. Its productivity is considered poor and unsuitable for agricultural or cattle-raising exploitation. Besides its botanical interest based on the presence of endemic and/or rare species and the variety of vascular and lower plants, the site is protected as a Special Protected Area (SPA) and characterized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and harbours a great number of birds. For some of them, Ossa is one of the 5 most important sites in the region or one of only 100 or less sites in the EC. OTHER IMPORTANT SPECIES WITH MOTIVATION D Plants: Aesculus hippocastanum is a mediterranean endemic species native only in the Balkan peninsula in Europe (Greece, former Jugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria). There are only few local trees in the area and planting young ones is needed in order for the species to survive. Androsace villosa is a species scattered on the mountains of C and S Europe between 1800 - 2200 m on stabilized screes and limestone rocks. The endemic species Astragalus lacteus is protected by the Greek Law (Presidential Decree 67/81) and is also included in the IUCN Red Data List (1993) in the category of threatened species and in the European Red List of Globally Threatened Species characterised as rare. Astragalus mayeri, Crocus veluchensis, Silene radicosa ssp. radicosa, Crocus cvijicii, Sideritis scardica, Dianthus integer ssp. minutiflorus, Colchicum doerfleri, are balkan endemics. Marrubium thessalum is endemic to N. & C. Greece and S. Albania. |
4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site
The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site
| Negative Impacts |
|---|
| Rank | Threats and pressures [code] | Pollution (optional) [code] | inside/outside [i|o|b] |
|---|
| H | A04.03 | | i |
| H | A06.01.01 | | i |
| H | B02.02 | | i |
| H | C03.03 | | b |
| L | E01.02 | | o |
| Positive Impacts |
|---|
| Rank | Activities, management [code] | Pollution (optional) [code] | inside/outside [i|o|b] |
|---|
Rank: H = high, M = medium, L = low
Pollution: N = Nitrogen input, P = Phosphor/Phosphate input, A = Acid input/acidification,
T = toxic inorganic chemicals, O = toxic organic chemicals, X = Mixed pollutions
i = inside, o = outside, b = both
5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
Back to top5.1 Designation types at national and regional level:
|
Code
|
Cover [%]
|
|---|
| GR12 | 67.21 |
| GR23 | 73.80 |
5.2 Relation of the described site with other sites:
Designated at national or regional level:
|
Type code
|
Site name
|
Type
|
Cover [%]
|
|---|
| GR12 | Koilada Tempon Larisas | * | 0.97 |
| GR23 | Ossa Larisas | * | 73.80 |
| GR12 | Dasika symplegma Ossas Larisas | * | 66.24 |
6. SITE MANAGEMENT
Back to top6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:
| Organisation: | FOREST DIRECTORATE OF LARISA |
| Address: | |
| Email: | |
6.2 Management Plan(s):
An actual management plan does exist:
|
Yes
| |
| No, but in preparation |
X | No |
7. MAP OF THE SITE
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No data
SITE DISPLAY