| Σχόλιο για τις αξίες |
The site is important for species associated with alpine grassland, cliffs and scree. Species of concern include Aquila chrysaetos and Monticola saxatilis .The area is also important due to its characteristic vegetation communities above the timber line in which many Greek endemics as well as rare and threatened plant taxa exist. Also very significant is the presence of many Balkan endemic taxa. Of the Greek endemics (section 3.3, motivation B) Abies cephalonica and Scorzonera purpurea subsp. peristerica are included in the WCMC Plants Database as "Rare". The plant taxa listed in section 3.3 with motivation D belong to the categories outlined below according to their distributions: a) Taxa occurring in the Balkan Peninsula and Anatolia: Carduus tmoleus, Geranium macrostylum, Ornithogalum oligophyllum, Saxifraga sempervivum, Silene bupleuroides, Thymus ongicaulis, subsp. chaubardii and T. thracicus. We must also mention the presence of Pimpinella tragium subsp. polyclada which occurs in Greece and Anatolia, as well as Dianthus cruentus and Dianthus viscidus, distributed in the Balkan Peninsula and as far as NW Turkey; b) Taxa occurring in the Balkan Peninsula and Italy: Ptilotrichum cyclocarpum subsp. pindicum (=Aurinia rupestris), Carum heldreichii, Athamanta macedonica, Gnaphalium hoppeanum, Hieracium naegelianum, Saxifraga rotundifolia subsp. taygetea, Scabiosa taygetea subsp. taygetea, Senecio scopolii, Silene roemeri. Also, Thesium parnassi, distributed in the Balkans, Italy and Sicily, and Barbarea sicula, occurring in Greece, Italy and Sicily. Barbarea sicula additionally receive motivation D since it is included in the WCMC Plants Database as "Vulnerable"; c) Balkan endemics: all the remaining taxa. Of them, Arenaria conferta subsp. serpentinii and Campanula tymphaea occur in Greece only on Pindos mountain range. Allium phthioticum, Galium degenii and Scutellaria rupestris additionally receive motivation D since they are listed in the WCMC Plants Database under the category "Rare". Scutellaria rupestris is also included in the UNEP as "Rare". The importance of the fauna of this site is clearly indicated by the presence the Brown Bear Ursus arctos, which is a priority species mentioned in Annex II of the Directive 92/43/EEC. Also, a toad and a viperid snake included in the same annex have been recorded as occurring in this mountainous site (section 3.2). Two of them are considered threatened in Greece mentioned in the Greek Red Data Book under the threat categories "Endangered" (Ursus arctus), and "Rare" (Vipera ursinii). An endemic subspecies of the very interesting viper Vipera ursinii graeca is known to live on Mt. Lakmos; its population status is critical making the taking of urgent and effective additional protective measures absolutely necessary. The lizards Lacerta agilis and Podarcis erhardii, the hare Lepus europaeus and the wildcat Felis silvestris are marked with motivation D since the former shows the southernmost edge of its Greek distribution in this site, the second is endemic to the Balkans, and the two mammalian taxa are considered very rare in Greece. Threatened birds of prey are included in the avifauna of this mountain (E.g., Aquila chrysaetos, Falco subbuteo, Gyps fulvus). The invertebrate species listed in section 3.3 with motivation D are protected by the Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981. |
