This Paper describes the design and development of an innovative Information system application that uses Google maps and GIS to record and present Natura 2000. For the pilot case study it was selected Natura 2000 in Central Macedonia, Greece. It constitutes a web application and can be expanded to record all Natura 2000 in Greece. It addresses to simple users which will have the opportunity to...

The Natura 2000 network is regarded as one of the conservation success stories in the global effort to protect biodiversity. However, significant challenges remain in Natura 2000 implementation, owing to its rapid expansion, and lack of a coherent vision for its future. Scientific research is critical for identifying conservation priorities, setting management goals, and reconciling biodiversit...

If protected areas are to remain relevant in our dynamic world they must be adapted to changes in species ranges. In the EU one of the most notable such changes is the recent recovery of large carnivores, which are protected by Natura 2000 at the national and population levels. However, the Natura 2000 network was designed prior to their recent recovery, which raises the question whether the ne...

nowadays the science of remote sensing and satellite data, constitute modern scientific tools,as they provide important information and make research easier in many scientific fields. this research articlepresents an integrated system for continuous monitoring of the vegetation and the human impact on the natura2000 protected areas of strofilia forest and kotychi lagoon (natura 2000 codes: gr 2...

A ta Enom ca Et Tustica, ol 2 (216), N o. 2, p. 10-236 ABSTRACT: Natura 2000 is often equated with protected areas where human activities are significantly limited or even excluded in order to preserve biodiversity. However, Natura 2000 is based on other settings. Most of the activities and projects in the Natura area can be carried out with the mitigation of possible negative impacts. Sometime...

The European Union has made extensive biodiversity conservation efforts with the Habitats and Birds Directives and with the establishment of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, one of the largest networks of conservation areas worldwide. We performed a gap analysis of the entire Natura 2000 system plus national protected areas and all terrestrial vertebrates (freshwater fish excluded). ...

The research objective of the project and article “European Ecological Network Natura 2000 – opportunities and threats” Natura 2000 sites constitute a form of environmental protection, several legal problems are likely to result. Most controversially, certain sites will be subject to two regimes of protection: as national parks and as Natura 2000 sites. This dualism of the legal regulation make...

Evaluation of the effectiveness of protected areas networks for conserving diversity is a demanding topic in biological conservation. In the last few years, there has been an increasing number of studies on species distribution modelling which can be easily used to test the efficiency of reserve networks. Unfortunately, this effort has been focused on the so called charismatic species. Our main...

Building with Nature is a new approach to designing water infrastructure, one that seeks to realize socioeconomic project goals in harmony with the environment. The Dutch dredging industry is promoting its application in the Netherlands, but similar concepts are emerging internationally. The Working with Nature concept has been developed under the auspices of the World Association for Waterborn...

Protected Areas (PAs) are a main conservation tool to halt biodiversity loss. However, their performance has been often questioned and the need to improve their effectiveness is now more apparent than ever. Here, we propose Roadless Areas as a conservation target to increase the cover and effectiveness of PAs. Roadless Areas represent natural and semi-natural areas of high conservation value th...