ESIA Greece East Annex 6.5.1 – Flora and Vegetation Baseline Study Page 2 of 82 Area Comp. System Disc. Doc.- Ser. Code Code Code Code Type No. Project Title: Trans Adriatic Pipeline – TAP Integrated ESIA Greece GPL00-ASP-642-Y-TAE-0061 Document Title: Annex 6.5.1 – East - Flora and Vegetation Baseline Rev.: 00 / at06 Study TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 General Information on the Vegetation and Flora of Central and East Macedonia and Thrace 4 1.2 Relevant Legislation 5 1.3 Scope of Work 6 2 METHODOLOGY 7 2.1 Flora sampling – identification 7 2.2 Habitat type/ Vegetation type identification 36 2.3 Limitation – Uncertainties – Biases 37 3 RESULTS 38 3.1 Population of Flora Taxa of Conservation interest within the Study Area 48 3.1.1 Protected Taxa 52 3.1.2 Endemic Taxa 54 3.1.3 Rare and Other Important species 55 3.1.4 Occurrence of plant species included in the 92/43/EEC Directive in the Project Area 56 3.2 Vegetation - Habitat types 57 3.2.1 Thermophilous Pine (Pinus halepensis subsp. brutia) Forests 66 3.2.2 Deciduous Oak (Quercus spp.) Forests 67 3.2.3 Shrubland communities 70 3.2.4 River and Stream Habitats 73 3.2.5 Grasslands 78 4 Key Findings 80 4.1 Key Taxa within the Study Area 80 4.2 Key habitat types within the Study Area 82 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1 Land uses/ vegetation types within the Project area (Kipoi to Thessaloniki) 8 Table 2-2 Flora and Vegetation Sampling Locations 10 Table 3-1 Plant taxa identified during the fieldwork. 38 Table 3-2 Flora taxa of conservation interest in the Study Area 50 Table 3-3 Habitat typs of the project area 58 Page 3 of 82 Area Comp. System Disc. Doc.- Ser. Code Code Code Code Type No. Project Title: Trans Adriatic Pipeline – TAP Integrated ESIA Greece GPL00-ASP-642-Y-TAE-0061 Document Title: Annex 6.5.1 – East - Flora and Vegetation Baseline Rev.: 00 / at06 Study LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3-1 Distribution of Ruscus aculeatus in Europe and in Mediterranean area 49 Figure 3-2 Ruscus aculeatus 52 Figure 3-3 The protected Autumn Lady's-tresses orchid (Spiranthes spiralis) 53 Figure 3-4 Distribution of Juniperus excelsa 54 Figure 3-5 The Greek endemic Satureja pilosa subsp. origanita 55 Figure 3-6 Occurrence of EU habitats along the route (1 of 6) 60 Figure 3-7 Occurrence of EU habitats along the route (2 of 6) 61 Figure 3-8 Occurrence of EU habitats along the route (3 of 6) 62 Figure 3-9 Occurrence of EU habitats along the route (4 of 6) 63 Figure 3-10 Occurrence of EU habitats along the route (5 of 6) 64 Figure 3-11 Occurrence of EU habitats along the route (6 of 6) 65 Figure 3-12 European habitat 9540 “Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines” 66 Figure 3-13 Occurrence of European habitat 9540 “Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines” 67 Figure 3-14 Greek habitat 924A “Thermophilous oak woods of E Mediterranean and Balkans”69 Figure 3-15 European habitat 9350 “Quercus macrolepis forests” 69 Figure 3-16 Occurrence of European habitat 9350 “Quercus macrolepis forests” 70 Figure 3-17 Greek habitat 5340 “Garrigues of Eastern Mediterranean” 72 Figure 3-18 European habitat 5340 “Pseudomaquis” 72 Figure 3-19 Occurrence of European habitat 3280 “Constantly flowing Mediterranean rivers with Paspalo-Agrostidion species and hanging curtains of Salix and Populus alba”75 Figure 3-20 European habitat 92A0 “Salix alba and Populus alba galleries” 76 Figure 3-21 Occurrence of European habitat 92A0 “Salix alba and Populus alba galleries” 76 Figure 3-22 European habitat 92C0 “Platanus orientalis and Liquidambar orientalis woods (Platanion orientalis)” 77 Figure 3-23 Occurrence of European habitat 92C0 “Platanus orientalis and Liquidambar orientalis woods (Platanion orientalis)” 77 Figure 3-24 Greek habitat 72A0 “Reedbeds” 78 Page 4 of 82 Area Comp. System Disc. Doc.- Ser. Code Code Code Code Type No. Project Title: Trans Adriatic Pipeline – TAP Integrated ESIA Greece GPL00-ASP-642-Y-TAE-0061 Document Title: Annex 6.5.1 – East - Flora and Vegetation Baseline Rev.: 00 / at06 Study 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 General Information on the Vegetation and Flora of Central and East Macedonia and Thrace The rich vegetation of east Macedonia and Thrace expands from the lowland to the uplands, i.e. from typical Mediterranean up to coniferous forests and subalpine grasslands. Some of the most abundant vegetation types are evergreen broadleaved shrublands (maquis or pseudomaquis), Mediterranean pine forests (Pinus halepensis, P. brutia), lowland grasslands, wetlands, deciduous broadleaved shrublands (silbjak or pseudosilbjak), deciduous broadleaved forests (Quercus and Fagus sylvatica forests), coniferous forests (Pinus nigra, P. sylvestris, P. leucodermis, Picea excelsa), subalpine grasslands and many others. It is estimated that the mountainous areas host more than 1000 plant species; in Mt Rhodope more than 1500 plant species and subspecies are found (Tsiripidis & Athanasiadis 2003, Eleftheriadou & Raus 1996). Also, some important (rare or endemic) species are found in the area (Phitos et al., 2009). The larger parts of the study area are arable lands (74%). Natural and semi-natural areas consist 25% of the study area, comprising mostly of scrub and herbaceous vegetation (15%) or pine and oak forests (9%). Although important wetland areas, such as Ramsar sites of ‘Lake Vistonis, Porto Lagos, Lake Ismaris & Adjoining lagoon’ and ‘Nestos Delta’, are found in the vicinity of the project area, riparian areas crossed by the pipeline are restricted to 0.6%. Kompsatos River and Nestos River, included in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Filiouris River, pine forest of Evros and River Evros are the most considerable areas. Streams and rivers pass through the valleys of the study area dominated by Salix alba-Populus alba and Platanus orientalis galleries. They are of high ecological importance since they form unique natural corridors connecting maritime with mountainous habitats. Small rivulets and hedges can be found in areas where semi-natural and synanthropic vegetation is dominant; species such as Ulmus minor, Celtis australis, Paliurus spina-christi, Rubus ssp. can be found. Floristic diversity is relatively low because of the nitrophilus species competition while important species are missing. However, hedges are of high ecological importance, since they are functioning either as agricultural waste keepers or serve as habitats (nests, refugees or corridors) for wildlife species (fauna and flora included). Page 5 of 82 Area Comp. System Disc. Doc.- Ser. Code Code Code Code Type No. Project Title: Trans Adriatic Pipeline – TAP Integrated ESIA Greece GPL00-ASP-642-Y-TAE-0061 Document Title: Annex 6.5.1 – East - Flora and Vegetation Baseline Rev.: 00 / at06 Study Abandoned fields and semi-natural grasslands host high floristic diversity but they are dominated mostly by common synanthropic taxa (species and subspecies), such as Artemisia campestris, Urtica dioica, Sisymbrium officinalis. Many species of these areas are invasive; such as Solanum eleagnifolium and the poisonous Datura stramonium. In the hills and the foothills of high mountains the vegetation changes and forestry vegetation types are dominant. The most common forest vegetation type is Quercus coccifera shrublands, where apart from the dominant species, Phillyrea latifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Carpinus orientalis can be also found. Small patches of evergreen shrublands can be found at the foothills of Mt. Paggaio, dominated by Erica spp., Arbutus spp. etc. Stands of Quercus sp forests are found in the foothills of high mountains, dominated by Quercus frainetto, while in the same area reforestations with allochthonous species are met. Valonia oak forest remnants and pine forests of great floristic interest are found in the foothills of Evros prefecture. Due to intensive grazing over the centuries, numerous openings and patches of grasslands are formed, inside forest vegetation types. 1.2 Relevant Legislation The protection status of flora and habitats in Greece is defined by the presidential Decree 67/81 “On the protection of wild flora and fauna” and law 3937/2011 on the “Conservation of Biodiversity”. Presidential Decree 67/81, amended with HGG 43/A/1981, provides measures on the protection of endemic, rare and endangered plant species. Greek Law 3937/2011 expands the protection measures (prohibition of harvest, collection, cutting, root removal, possession and transfer) to endemic plants but without providing lists of scientific or common names or stating precise endemism levels (local, Greek, Balkan or other). A national catalogue of endemic plant species is being elaborated by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. Natura 2000 sites are protected under Law 3937/2011, according to which any actions or activities that may cause destruction, damage or alteration in European priority habitats are prohibited. The implementation of the Directive 92/43/EEC in Greece started with the execution of the project Inventory, Identification, Evaluation and Mapping of the Habitat types and Flora and Fauna species in Greece. During this Project, a significant number of other important species which occur in Greece, not included in Annex II, i.e., endangered, rare, endemics and/or Page 6 of 82 Area Comp. System Disc. Doc.- Ser. Code Code Code Code Type No. Project Title: Trans Adriatic Pipeline – TAP Integrated ESIA Greece GPL00-ASP-642-Y-TAE-0061 Document Title: Annex 6.5.1 – East - Flora and Vegetation Baseline Rev.: 00 / at06 Study protected species under several international conventions were also identified and recorded. The list of “Other important plant species” includes 1,852 taxa of conservation interest of the Greek flora (Kokkini et al., 1996), which however, are not under any legal status of protection. 1.3 Scope of Work The flora and habitat type assessment focuses in: Identification and documentation of populations of plant taxa (species and subspecies) of high conservation interest (protected, rare, or endemic species) in selected habitats along the pipeline route, and mapping of European habitat types (as defined in the Directive 92/43/EEC) along the route, in order to locate habitat types of conservation interest (priority, protected, rare, threatened or hosting rare and protected species).