Wetlands, a Habitat Full of Benefits

This natural habitat is a very important part of our environment. Wetlands can protect coastline Wetlands, a habitat full of beneﬁts from damage from the sea, minimise impacts of ﬂoods, absorb pollutants from farming and urban areas and improve the quality of water. They provide very important habitats for plants Conserving the Akrotiri Salt Lake and animals and can support biodiversity that is found nowhere else. Cyprus

Akrotiri

Invasive alien species The Eucalyptus forest along the north of Akrotiri Salt Lake was planted Mosquitoes with Australian trees over the first half of the C20th in an attempt to Sand dunes Although mosquitoes are generally considered as a pest drain the marshes north of the salt lake and reduce wetland habitat Sand dunes can form part of coastal environments, and as vectors for human diseases, they are actually an available for mosquitoes. This forest is a strong feature of the area and such as those at Lady’s Mile beach. They support important part of any ecosystem, and are often found in home to native species, and migrating birds. Acacia saligna is an lots of lovely plants including the Sea Daffodil wetland environments. Mosquitoes provide an important invasive species planted across Cyprus for firewood and to reduce soil Pancratium maritimum. These sand dunes are very food source for birds and fish. The males can also erosion. Acacia produces lots of flowers which bees like but can special as there are not many of them in Cyprus. It pollinate flowers. outcompete native plant species for space and water. is important to treat these shifting dunes respectfully so that they are around for everyone to IAS see and enjoy.

Agriculture Man-made climate change Farming is a very important part of many economies. Around Akrotiri Climate change is having effects all around the Salt Lake, different kind of corps are grown, such as lemons, oranges, world. Part of the pattern of climate change is olives, cereals and potatoes. Unfortunately, some farming activities can more extreme weather events, such as extremely damage the environment. For example, the use of chemicals to kill heavy rains or droughts. Countries like Cyprus insect pests and weed species can harm other plants and animals. may become drier, and such wetlands like the Reducing the amount of chemicals used can help reduce the negative Akrotiri salt lake and marshes might spend longer impact on the natural environment. with low water levels. This will have impacts on the plant and animal species that depend on the water, including many rare species.

Saltmarshes Saltmarshes provide a home for many plant species. Dominant plant in marshes are reeds, rushes, sedges and glassworts. Some of the saltmarsh plants growing around Tourism Akrotiri Salt Lake are rare and endangered in Cyprus. Plants Tourism can be really important and helpful to you might see are rushes Juncus spp., glassworts Salicornia promote and protect wildlife and biodiversity. spp., and Golden samphire Inula crithmoides. These However, sometimes it can be bad for the habitats also host many water-birds like herons and ducks, environment if it means pollution from human including the endangered Ferruginous Duck. As saltmarshes activities and that lots of people drop litter and are special habitats, they need to be protected to keep trample signiﬁcant and sensitive areas. It is them safe. You can help protect these rare species by not important for development to consider wildlife and disturbing birds and plants when walking and generally the natural environment and for tourists to make moving through the marshes. sure they stick to roads or paths and take their rubbish to bins to get rid of.

Salt lakes People Akrotiri Salt Lake supports lots of wildlife. Large numbers of water-birds People are a very important part of any ecosystem, especially around sensitive like ducks and ﬂamingos stay throughout the winter. In addition, many areas like the Akrotiri Salt Lake environment. The people who live, work and important species such as Kentish plovers and Black-winged stilts use visit salt lakes are able to help to look after salt lakes by throwing rubbish the surroundings of the lake for breeding every year. During the Environmental Education Centres away in bins and not driving on lake edges. They can also help by taking part of migration seasons large ﬂocks of cranes as well as many raptor species volunteer activities that record the rare and beautiful wildlife, such as use the area as a staging area on their long migratory trips from Europe The Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre is an excellent place to pollinator surveys like PoMS-Ký. to Africa in autumn and back in spring. learn more about the local environment. If you want to know more about the wildlife and culture of Akrotiri, we recommend visiting the centre with more information found on their website.