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Mount Olympos is a legendary area (place of the 12 Gods of Greek mythology). The variety of microclimates is responsible for the inversion of vegetation zones and for the anarchy of the vegetation zones distribution. The highest tree-line (timber-line) in Europe occurs on this mountain (Pinus heldreichii at 2500 m). The great concentration of rare plants and animals makes this site a real natural paradise for the conservation of rare fauna and flora (Jankaea heldreichii for example) of Greece and Europe. At the top it is the core zone of the 4000 ha National Park established in 1938. There is a Master Plan (Special Management Plan, 1988) from the Forest District Office of Katerini that suggests the expansion of the core area to 7150 ha and core plus buffer zone to 17420 ha. By decision of the Bureau of the International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and Biosphere (MAB, UNESCO), Mount Olympos National Park is recognized as part of the international network of Biosphere Reserves (15/12/1981). Concerning the fauna the quality of the site is indicated by the occurence of the invertebrates Thersamonia thersamon, Erymnis marloyi, Heodes ottomanus which are refered to Heath J. 1981. Threatened Rhopalocera (butterflies) of Europe, Council of Europe, the invertebrate Trichius sexualis, which is refered to Speight M.C.D. 1989. Saproxylic inveretebrates and their conservation. Council of Europe, the invertebrates Syrichthus tesselum, Clossiana dia which are contained to the Presidential Decree 67/1981 and the mammal Pitymys subterraneus which is refered to Corine biotopes project 1988. Technical handbook vol. 1.Concerning the wild growning plants the quality of the site is indicated by the occurrence of other important taxa. Among them, 56 taxa are greek endemics (between them 21 are local endemics), 5 taxa are protected by the Bern International Convention and/or the EC Environment Legislation (1992), 19 taxa (Aethionema saxatile ssp. oreophilum, Anthemis cretica ssp. columnae, Aquilegia ottonis ssp. amaliae, Astragalus lacteus, Athamanta densa, Centaurea grbavacensis, Crepis pawlowskii, Dactylorhiza kalopissii, Festuca koritnicensis, Galium degenii, Inula ensifolia, Omphalodes luciliae ssp. scropulorum, Onosma heterophyllum, Oxytropis purpurea, Poa dolosa, Rosa arvensis, Scrophularia heterophylla, Trachelium jaquinii ssp. rumelianum, Viola delphinantha) are included in the WCMC and/or European Red Data list, 18 taxa (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Coeloglossum viride, Dactylorhiza saccifera, Dactylorhiza sambucina, Dianthus viscidus, Gentiana asclepiadea, Gentiana verna ssp. balcanica, Jovibarba heuffelii, Lactuca intricata, Lilium chalcedonicum, Lilium martagon, Ophrys ferrum - equinum ssp. ferrum - equinum, Orchis pallens, Paronychia rechingeri, Poa thessala, Saxifraga glabella, Sorbus chamaemespilus, Viola tricolor ssp. macedonica) are protected by the Greek Presidental Decree (67/1981), 16 taxa (Alchemilla viridiflora, Carlina acaulis ssp. simplex, Galium parisiense, Gentianella crispata, Gnaphalium roeseri ssp. pichleri, Hieracium pilosius, Kernera saxatilis, Linaria alpina, Ornithogalum refractum, Poa media, Saxifraga adscendens ssp. discolor, Sedum stefco, Sedum tuberiferum, Silene chromodonta, Silene saxifraga, Veronica thessalica) are rare in Greece and/or reach their extreme distribution limits in Northern Greece, 62 taxa (Abies borisii-regis, Achillea ageratifolia ssp. aizoon, Achillea holosericea, Amelanchier cretica, Anthyllis aurea, Arabis bryoides, Arenaria conferta ssp. conferta, Arenaria cretica, Asperula aristata ssp. nestia, Astragalus mayeri, Aubrieta scardica, Aurinia corymbosa, Campanula spatulata ssp. spatulata, Carum graecum ssp. graecum, Carum rupestre, Carum strictum, Centaurea pindicola, Cerastium banaticum ssp. speciosum, Cerastium decalvans, Cirsium tymphaeum, Colchicum doerfleri, Crocus veluchensis, Dianthus haematocalyx ssp. haematocalyx, Dianthus integer ssp. minutiflorus, Dianthus stenopetalus, Erysimum microstylum, Euphorbia amygdaloides ssp. heldreichii, Euphorbia capitulata, Euphorbia glabriflora, Galium anisophyllon ssp. plebeium, Galium hellenicum, Galium intricatum, Geocaryum pindicolum, Helleborus cyclophyllus, Herniaria parnassica ssp. parnassica, Hieracium cymosum ssp. heldeichianum, Hieracium parnassi, Hypericum rumeliacum ssp. rumeliacum, Iris reichenbachii, Lamium bifidum ssp. balcanicum, Laserpitium siler ssp. laeve, Linum flavum ssp. albanicum, Linum hirsutum ssp. spathulatum, Malcolmia orsiniana ssp. angulifolia, Marrubium thessalum, Myosotis alpestris ssp. suaveolens, Paronychia macedonica, Pedicularis brachyodonta ssp. moesiaca, Pinus heldreichii, Saxifraga porophylla ssp. grisebachii, Scrophularia aestivalis, Scrophularia laciniata, Sesleria tenerrima, Sideritis scardica, Silene radicosa ssp. radicosa, Stachys plumosa, Thesium parnassi, Thymus boissieri, Trifolium pignantii, Verbascum graecum, Veronica glauca ssp. peloponnesiaca, Viola frondosa) are Balkan endemics and 11 taxa (Centaurea affinis ssp. affinis, Geranium macrostylum, Gnaphalium hoppeanum ssp. magellense, Erigeron epiroticus, Lamium garganicum ssp. striatum, Ornithogalum oligophyllum, Saxifraga sempervivum, Silene parnassica, Silene roemeri, Thymus leucotrichus, Thymus longicaulis ssp. chaubardii) find their main distribution area in the Balkan Peninsula extending also to Turkey or Italy. |
