| Περιγραφή Τόπου |
The site is located at the marine area to the east of Kriti, between the islands of Kriti and Karpathos. It includes the island of Kasos and its surrounding small islands. It is the southernmost island group of Dodekanisos archipelagos and it comprises 14 small islands and islets; the most important of them are: Armathia, Makronisi, Kariofila, Porioni, Mikro Pontikonisi, Megalo Pontikonisi and Lytra. The largest one (Armathia) with an area of 2567 km2 and maximum altitude 111 m, lies NW of Kasos. The smallest one (Porioni) with an area 21 km2 lies between the islands of Armathia and Makronisi. The island of Kasos (with maximum altitude 597 m), can be cosidered as a typical example of environmental downgrading. It is characterized by areas occupied by phrygana of a bad state, due to the intensive grazing. The predominant plant species are Sarcopoterium spinosum, Thymus capitatus and Genista acanthothamnos; only in the SW part of the island (Avlaki bay) there is a small area with Juniperus phoenicea, which has also been overgrazed. Moreover, there is locally restricted cultivation, occuping different parts on the island. The extensive sea-cliffs around the island, are in an excellent condition. Since 1980 there has been an extremely uncotrolled increase in the number of goat and sheep, that stretches the ability of the ecosystem to overcome. This event has affected the soil and the vegetation adversely; the original maquis have been downgraded to phrygana, the abandoned cultivation has also been occupied by phrygana, the slopes of the mountains have been stripped of their vegetation and the soil has become eroded. The small island of Armathia, is distinguished for the abandoned cultivations at the coastal areas, which have been colonized by phrygana (Thymus capitatus and Limonium graecum), while in the interior of the island and along their slopes there is a formation of Juniperus phoenicea. Nowadays, the grazing is not so intense at this part of the site (Armathia island), so there is a remarkable regeneration of Juniperus phoenicea. There are also sand dunes (of a bad state, with Limonium graecum and Teucrium gracile), shallow inlets and bays and at the western end there is a small lake. On the islet of Makronisi there are saltmarsh scrubs (on the coastal area) and phrygana (in the interior of the island). The islet of Lytra is still under overgrazing. There are phrygana and flattened sea-cliffs. The rest of the islets are characterized by sea cliffs and halophilus vegetation. |
