Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Vascular plant diversity and climate change in the alpine zone of the Lefka Ori, Crete

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biodiversity and Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the vascular flora and the local climate along an altitudinal gradient in the Lefka Ori massif Crete and to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on the plant diversity of the sub-alpine and alpine zones. It provides a quantitative/qualitative analysis of vegetation-environment relationships for four summits along an altitude gradient on the Lefka Ori massif Crete (1664–2339 m). The GLORIA multi-summit approach was used to provide vegetation and floristic data together with temperature records for every summit. Species richness and species turnover was calculated together with floristic similarity between the summits. 70 species were recorded, 20 of which were endemic, belonging to 23 different families. Cretan endemics dominate at these high altitudes. Species richness and turnover decreased with altitude. The two highest summits showed greater floristic similarity. Only 20% of the total flora recorded reaches the highest summit while 10% is common among summits. Overall there was a 4.96°C decrease in temperature along the 675 m gradient. Given a scenario of temperature increase the ecotone between the sub-alpine and alpine zone would be likely to have the greatest species turnover. Southern exposures are likely to be invaded first by thermophilous species while northern exposures are likely to be more resistant to changes. Species distribution shifts will also depend on habitat availability. Many, already threatened, local endemic species will be affected first.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

GLORIA:

Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments

GCM:

General circulation models

LOW:

Lowest Summit

CHO:

Chorafas

SEK:

South-East Kakovoli

STR:

Sternes

References

  • Akyllas E, Lykoudis S, Lalas D (2005) Climate Change in Greece. National Observatory Report, Athens (in Greek)

  • Araújo MB, Williams PH, Cabeza M, Thuiller W, Hannah L (2004) Would climate change drive species out of reserves? An assessment of existing reserve-selection methods. Glob Change Biol 10:1618–1626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin MP (1980) Searching for a model for vegetation analysis. Vegetatio 43:11–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin MP, Smith TM (1989) A new model for the continuum concept. Vegetatio 83:35–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin GE, Rehfisch MM (2003) The likely impact of sea level rise on waders (Charadrii) wintering on estuaries. J Nat Conserv 11:43–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbero M, Quézel P (1980) La végétation forestière de Crète. Ecol Mediterr 5:175–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartlein PJ, Whitlock C, Shafer SL (1997) Future climate change in the Yellowstone National Park region and its potential impact on vegetation. Conserv Biol 11:782–792

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker A, Bugmann H (eds) (2001) Global change and mountain regions: The Mountain Research Initiative. IGBP Report 49, IGBP Secretariat, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Begon M, Harper JL, Townsend CR (1996) Ecology: individuals, populations and communities, 2nd edn. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Beniston M (1994) Mountain environments in changing climates. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergmeier E (2002) The vegetation of the high mountains of Crete: a revision and multivariate analysis. Phytocoenologia 32:205–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chilton L, Turland NJ (1997) Flora of Crete: a supplement. Marengo Publications, Retford

    Google Scholar 

  • Dafis S, Papastergiadou E, Georghiou K, Babalonas D, Georgiadis T, Papageorgiou M, Lazaridou T, Tsiaoussi V (eds) (1996) Directive 92/43/EEC – The Greek “Habitat” project NATURA (2000): an overview. Commission of the European Communities DG XI, The Goulandris Natural History Museum – Greek Biotope/Wetland Center

  • Davis SD, Heywood VH, Hamilton AC (eds) (1994) Centres of Plant Diversity. WWF/IUCN, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellenberg H (1988) Vegetation ecology of Central Europe, 4th edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ, Spicer JI (1998) Biodiversity: an introduction. Blackwell Science, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Grabherr G, Gottfried M, Gruber A, Pauli H (1995). Patterns and current change in alpine plant diversity. In: Chapin FS, Körner C (eds) Arctic and Alpine biodiversity: pattern causes and ecosystems consequence ecological studies, vol 113. Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, pp 167–181

  • Grabherr G, Gottfried, M, Gruber A, Pauli, H (2001) Aspects of climate change in the Alps and the high arctic region. Long term monitoring of mountain peaks in the Alps. In: Burga CA, Kratochwil A (eds) Biomonitoring: general and applied aspects on regional and global scales. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 153–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison PA, Berry PM, Dawson TE (eds) (2001) Climate change and nature conservation in Britain and Ireland: modelling natural resource responses to climate change (the MONARCH project). UKCIP Technical Report, Oxford

  • Hódar JA, Zamora R (2004) Herbivory and climatic warming: a Mediterranean outbreaking of caterpillar attacks on a relict boreal, pine species. Biodivers Conserv 13:493–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hossell JE, Ellis NE, Harley MJ, Hepburn IR (2003) Climate change and nature conservation: implications for policy and practice in Britain and Ireland. J Nat Conserv 11:67–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huber UM, Bugmann HKM, Reasoner MA (eds) (2005) Global change and mountain regions: an overview of current knowledge. Advances in global change research, Series vol 23. Springer

  • Huston MA (1994) Biological diversity: the co-existence of species in changing landscapes. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (International Panel on Climatic Change) (2001) Climate change 2001. Impacts adaptation and vulnerability. CUP

  • Jahn R, Schönfelder P (1995) Exkursionsflora für Creta. Ulmer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Kent M, Coker P (1992) Vegetation description and analysis: a practical approach, 2nd edn. Belhaven, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (1994). Impact of atmospheric changes on high mountain vegetation. In: Beniston M (eds) Mountain environments in changing climates. Routledge, London, pp 155–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (1999) Alpine plant life: functional plant ecology of high mountain ecosystems. Springer, Berlin, 338 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Körner C, Spehn EM (2002) Mountain biodiversity: a global assessment. CRC Press, 350pp

  • Krebs CJ (1999) Ecological methodology, 2nd edn. Addison-Welsey

  • Lomolino MV (2001) Elevation gradients of species-diversity: historical and prospective views. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 10:3–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Kalin Arroyo MT, Bond WJ, Canadell J, Hobbs RJ, Lavorel S and Neilson RP (2001) Mediterranean climate ecosystems. In: Chapin FS, Sala OE, Huber-Saanwald E (eds) Global diversity in a changing environment. Scenarios for the 21st century ecological studies, vol 152. Springer, New York, pp 157–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Odland A, Birks HJB (1999) The altitudinal gradient of vascular plant richness in Aurland, Western Norway. Ecography 22:548–566

    Google Scholar 

  • Palutikof JP, Wigley TML (1996). Developing climate change scenarios for the Mediterranean region. In: Jeftic L, Keckes S, Pernetta JC (eds) Climate Change and the Mediterranean, vol 2. Edward Arnold, London, pp 27–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauli H, Gottfried G, Grabherr G (2001) High summits of the Alps in a changing climate. In: Walter A, Burga, A, Edwards PJ (eds) Fingerprints of climate change, adapted behaviour and shifting species range. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 139–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Peñuelas J, Boada M (2003) A global change-induced biome shift in the Montseny mountains (NE Spain). Glob Change Biol 9:131–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phitos D, Strid A, Snogerup S, Greuter W (1996) The red data book of rare and threatened plants of Greece. WWF, Athens

    Google Scholar 

  • Quézel P (1981a) Les hautes montagnes du maghreb et du proche-orient:essai de mise en parallèle des charactères phytogéographiques. An Jard Bot Madr 37(2):353–372

    Google Scholar 

  • Quézel P (1981b) The study of groupings in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean: some methodological aspects. In: Di Castri F, Goodall DW, Sprecht RL (eds) Mediterranean-type shrublands. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 87–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Rackham O, Moody JA (1996) The making of the cretan landscape. Manchester University Press, Manchester

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahbek C (1995) The elevation gradient of species richness: a uniform pattern? Ecography 18:200–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raunkaier C (1937) Plant life forms. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas-Martínez S (1997) Bioclimatic map of Europe. Servicio Cartográfico. Universidad de León, León

    Google Scholar 

  • Sætersdal M, Birks HBJ, Peglar SM (1998) Predicting changes in Fennoscandian vascular plant species richness as a result of future climatic change. J Biogeogr 25:111–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott D, Malcolm JR, Lemieux C (2002) Climate change and modelled biome representation in Canada’s national park system: implications for system planning and park mandates. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 11:475–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sklenár P, Ramsay PM (2001) Diversity of zonal páramo plant communities in Ecuador. Divers Distrib 7:113–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanisci A, Pelino G, Blasi C (2005) Vascular plant diversity and climate change in the alpine belt of the central Apennines (Italy). Biodivers Conserv 14:1301–1318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strid A (1993) Phytogeographical aspects of the Greek mountain flora. Frag Floristica Geobot Suppl 2:411–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Strid A, Papanikolaou K (1985) The Greek mountains. In: Gomez-Campo C (ed) Plant Conservation in the Mediterranean area. Dr. Junk, Dordrecht, pp 89–111

  • Strid A, Tan K (eds) (1991) Mountain flora of Greece, vol 2. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • Theurillat JP, Schlüssel A, Geissler P, Guisan A, Velluti, C, Wiget L (2003) Vascular plants bryophyte diversity along elevation gradients in the Alps. In: Nagy L, Grabherr G, Körner CH, Thompson DBA (eds). Alpine biodiversity in Europe. Ecological studies, vol 167. Springer, Berlin, pp 185–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Tivy J (1993) Biogeography: a study of the plants in the ecosphere, 3rd edn. Longman Scientific & Technical, Harlow

    Google Scholar 

  • Turland NJ, Chilton L, Press JR (1993) Flora of the Cretan area. Annotated checklist and Atlas. HMSO, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogiatzakis IN, Griffiths GH, Mannion AM (2003) Environmental factors and vegetation composition, Lefka Ori massif Crete, S.Aegean. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 12:131–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson MV, Shmida A (1984) Measuring beta diversity with presence–absence data. J Ecol 72:1055–1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward FI (1987) Climate and plant distribution. Cambridge studies in ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaffran, J (1990) Contributions à la Flore et à Vegétation de la Crète. Universitè de Provence, Aix en Provence

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research was funded by the project EU-GLORIA (2001–2003) No. EVK2-CT- 2000-00056. We are thankful to Mrs Christina Fournaraki at MAICH for her assistance with plant identification, Dr A.M. Mannion and Dr G.H. Griffiths at the University of Reading for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Management, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, P.O. Box 85, 73100, Chania, Greece

    G. Kazakis & D. Ghosn

  2. Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Earley Gate, RG6 6AR, Reading, UK

    I. N. Vogiatzakis

  3. Laboratory of Rangeland Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR, 54006, Thessaloniki, Greece

    V. P. Papanastasis

Authors
  1. G. Kazakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Ghosn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. N. Vogiatzakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. P. Papanastasis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. N. Vogiatzakis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kazakis, G., Ghosn, D., Vogiatzakis, I.N. et al. Vascular plant diversity and climate change in the alpine zone of the Lefka Ori, Crete. Biodivers Conserv 16, 1603–1615 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9021-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9021-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation