Search

Marine and coastal areas are under significant pressures due to the intense concentration of population and activities that often drive in conflicts. Marine spatial plans need to be enacted and implemented, considering the particularities of marine areas, the existing and future activities and uses and their environmental impact and the land–sea interaction. The paper main question concerns the emerge of uses conflicts on marine and coastal areas, with significant uses accumulation. Crete Island is used as the case study. It studied the conflicts or synergies of marine uses as well as their spatial and quantitative representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being nocturnal, hiding in prickly bushes and shrubs during the day, Eupholidoptera species in Crete and its neighbouring islands are easily overlooked, and until now our knowledge about their distribution was based on some thirty sightings across 11 species. In this paper results are presented of a study of Eupholidoptera specimens collected between 1987 and 2020 by hand-catches and pitfall and fermenting traps on the Greek islands of Crete, Gavdos, Gavdopoula, and Andikithira. Diagnostic features of all known species are presented and illustrated with stacked images. An updated key to all species is provided. Eupholidoptera francisae Tilmans & Odé, sp. nov. from Andikithira and southwestern Crete and Eupholidoptera marietheresae Willemse & Kotitsa, sp. nov. from Mt. Dikti are described. Female E. cretica, E. gemellata, and E. mariannae are described, and the female of E. astyla is redescribed. Bioacoustics for E. francisae Tilmans & Odé, sp. nov., E. giuliae, and E. jacquelinae are presented for the first time. Eupholidoptera smyrnensis is reported for the first time from Crete. A substantial amount of new distribution data for Eupholidoptera species on Crete is presented. The current distribution pattern and first analyses of phylogeny based on molecular data of Eupholidoptera species on Crete are discussed in relation to paleogeographical events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with landscape management issues, not only of terrestrial landscape but also of coastal and marine landscape. This paper also proposes a methodology to introduce the landscape dimension in marine zoning and underline the need to include marine landscape as a discrete unit in Greek marine spatial planning. More specifically, this work presents key issues and basic axes related to marine zoning implementation by identifying marine landscape typologies that have emerged based on the visibility of the marine space in structures with negative visual impact that are placed in the terrestrial space. For the empirical part of the study, Crete island is chosen where the coastal and marine exploitation is significant and continues to increase. The methodological approach for the quantitative rendering of visibility is based on viewshed analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a climatic multi-hazard risk assessment for Greece, as the first-ever attempt to enhance scientific knowledge for the identification and definition of hazards, a critical element of risk-informed decision making. Building on an extensively validated climate database with a very high spatial resolution (5 × 5 km2), a detailed assessment of key climatic hazards is performed that allows for: (a) the analysis of hazard dynamics and their evolution due to climate change and (b) direct comparisons and spatial prioritization across Greece. The high geographical complexity of Greece requires that a large number of diverse hazards (heatwaves—TX, cold spells—TN, torrential rainfall—RR, snowstorms, and windstorms), need to be considered in order to correctly capture the country's susceptibility to climate extremes. The current key findings include the dominance of cold-temperature extremes in mountainous regions and warm extremes over the coasts and plains. Extreme rainfall has been observed in the eastern mainland coasts and windstorms over Crete and the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Projections of the near future reveal more warm extremes in northern areas becoming more dominant all over the country by the end of the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to: study the relative efficiency between hotels operating under a brand and hotels operating independently, on the island of Crete, Greece; identify the inefficiency causes; and suggest managerial implications to relevant business experts and managers in order to increase hotel efficiency in Crete and in other tourism destinations with similar characteristics. Design/methodology/approach - The sample is constituted by 50 superior hotels (luxury and class A) operating in Crete in 2008: 25 hotels are operating as totally independent and 25 hotels are operating under a brand. The efficiency for the above hotels is estimated through the data envelopment analysis methodology. Findings - First, nationally branded hotels are relatively the most efficient; internationally branded are the least efficient, while those operating under a local brand and the independent ones lie in between. This efficiency ranking can be explained by the interplay between operating under a brand and being flexible to changes in the local market's conditions. Second, the hotels' inefficiency cause is mainly due to the input/output configuration and not due to their management teams' performance to organize the inputs in the production process. Research limitations/implications - A direction for future research could be to enrich input and output variables. The paper could also be extended through a larger sample of hotels and an enriched data set covering more variables for more than one year, so as to study the dynamics of hotel efficiency. The larger sample could also contain hotels from other popular tourist destinations in Greece. Practical implications - The inefficiency causes are identified and, moreover, suggestions are made to hotel owners and managers, at the level of strategic and operational management, so as to increase hotel efficiency. Originality/value - This is the first study measuring hotel efficiency in Greece. Moreover, it identifies the inefficiency causes of hotels and offers suggestions, at the level of strategic and operational management, so as to increase hotel efficiency, which are applicable to Crete as well as to other tourism destinations with similar characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several important habitats have become threatened in the last few centuries in the Mediterranean Basin due to major changes adopted in land‐use practices. The consequent loss of natural and seminatural orchid habitats leads to the appreciation of small anthropogenic habitats, such as cemeteries and roadside verges. Colonization of cemeteries and roadside verges by orchids has long been known, but no study to date compared the suitability of these two anthropogenic habitats for orchids. Therefore, in this paper our aim was to survey cemeteries and roadside verges and to compare these two habitats regarding their role in conserving Mediterranean terrestrial orchids. We conducted field surveys in three Mediterranean islands, Cyprus, Crete, and Lesbos, where both cemeteries and roadside verges were sampled on a geographically representative scale. We found a total of almost 7,000 orchid individuals, belonging to 77 species in the two anthropogenic habitat types. Roadside verges hosted significantly more individuals than cemeteries in Crete and Lesbos, and significantly more species across all three islands. Our results suggest that although cemeteries have a great potential conservation value in other parts of the world, intensive maintenance practices that characterized cemeteries in these three islands renders them unable to sustain valuable plant communities. On the other hand, roadside verges play a prominent role in the conservation of Mediterranean orchids in Cyprus and Greece. The pioneer status of roadside verges facilitates their fast colonization, while roads serve as ecological corridors in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this paper is based on a reconsideration of patrons of Ottoman mosques in Greece in light of the analyzed study of the lerapetra Mosque of the island of Crete. This paper draws a layout of the lerapetra city under the Ottomans based on the relevant sources with particular reference to the salnames and old photographs. It examines in details about the architecture, the inscriptions, and the historical context of lerapetra mosque. This paper also corrects the reading of some inscriptions and proposes reading for some Arabic inscriptions for the first time. Based on a survey by the author conducted between 2006 and 2016, there are around eighty Ottoman historical mosques in Greece that still exist. It concludes that the lerapetra mosque is a notable example with its architecture, inscriptions, and fountain. Moreover, it is one of the rare cases in Greece that were built by the contribution of the Muslim community of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal zones and marine areas attract a large number of people and productive activities, a fact that causes important pressures on ecosystems and affects the cohesion of local societies. These areas - that is, the large number of islands and the extended coastline - are important for Greece, because of its geography. Coastal zones and marine areas are vulnerable socio-spatial systems exposed to menaces, such as: sea level rising, desertification phenomenon, built-up areas excessive expansion etc., thus, spatial planning is required for their sustainable management, something that is not always easy to implement. The paper aims to discuss key issues of spatial planning emerged from the ratification of an integrated framework for marine planning in the national spatial planning system. For better understanding of the particularities of Greek spatial planning procedures, the island of Crete is chosen as a case study area, where synergies, conflicts and methodological issues come up at regional and local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some amendments of our knowledge of the taxonomically complex genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in Crete, Greece are presented, based on field work and morphological study of herbarium specimens, including types. The circumscriptions of the closely related Cretan endemics L. cornarianum and L. hierapetrae are clarified. The former species is actually restricted to the type population in Moni Kapsa (SE Crete) and a newly found population in Pacheia Ammos (NE Crete). The latter species comprises populations in SE Crete that extend from Moni Kapsa to Dermatos, and also includes the populations previously assigned to L. chrisianum and L. minoicum that are found to be conspecific. Limonium artelariae from SE Crete, similar and related to L. cornarianum and L. hierapetrae, is described as a new species. It is rather unique among Greek Limonium species for its height (up to 110 cm tall) and its large, broadly spathulate leaves. Limonium cythereum previously known from the islands of Kythira and Antikythira is newly recorded for Crete, represented by two populations in NW Crete. The report of L. fragile from Crete is found to be erroneous, based on misidentified material of L. virgatum. All accepted taxa are described, and their types, chromosome number or ploidy level, distribution and ecology are also indicated. Photographs, distribution maps and an identification key are added to facilitate further identification. Citation: Koutroumpa K. 2024: Limonium artelariae (Plumbaginaceae), a new endemic species and further taxonomic and floristic notes on the genus in the island of Crete. – Willdenowia 54: 65–79 Version of record first published online on 13 March 2024 ahead of inclusion in April 2024 issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arachnology Letters / Arachnologische Mitteilungen is the property of Arachnologische Gesellschaft e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although family support programmes have been in place for several decades in Greece very little attention has been paid to evaluating the effectiveness of such endeavours, the techniques that influence their outcomes and the receptiveness to their messages. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of research findings collected during the first qualitative research phase of a community mental health promotion project. The research was conducted in order to delineate programme outcomes and the characteristics that had an impact on the participants' lives. The 3-month family support programme intended to introduce ‘philosophical dialogues’ as means to developing personal and communal understandings of what makes life worth living. The programme was developed and implemented on Crete under the auspices of a non-profit community organization appropriately named ‘The Lyceum for Women’. The features of the programme that contributed and enhanced the participants' tendencies to become not passive targets but active partners and stakeholders in the process will be clarified, as will the conceptualization and approach. Of the 45 evaluation protocols that were analysed the following themes were most important for the participants: ‘Group as-a-whole process’—the sense of sharing and development understandings in a ‘parea’ (in-group); ‘relational outcomes’—feeling of belonging, ‘reciprocated kindness’, and giving of self to others; personal and emotional outcomes-self-efficacy and empowerment; knowledge outcomes-learning about positive emotions and enjoying the simple things in life; and group facilitator outcomes-sharing stories, ‘gives of self to the community’. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim The aim of this study was to explore the environmental factors that determine the spatial distribution of oro-mediterranean and alti-mediterranean plant communities in Crete. Location The paper provides a quantitative analysis of vegetation–environment relationships for two study areas within the Lefka Ori massif Crete, a proposed Natura 2000 site. Methods Eleven environmental variables were recorded: altitude, slope, aspect, percentage of bare rock, percentage of unvegetated ground, soil depth, pH, organic matter content and percentages of sand, silt and clay content. Classification of the vegetation was based on twinspan, while detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to identify environmental gradients linked to community distribution. Results One hundred and twenty-five species were recorded from 120 plots located within the two study areas. Forty-seven of the recorded species are endemic, belonging to 35 families. Hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes were the most frequent, suggesting a typical oro-mediterranean life form spectrum. The samples were classified into five main community types and one transitional. The main gradients, identified by CCA, were altitude and surface cover type in the North-west site, while in the Central site the gradients were soil formation-development and surface cover type. Main conclusions The use of classification in combination with ordination techniques resulted in a good discrimination between plant communities and a greater understanding of controlling environmental factors. The methodology adopted can be employed for improving baseline information on plant community ecology and distribution in Mediterranean mountain zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High mountain zones in the Mediterranean area are considered more vulnerable in comparison to lower altitudes zones. Lefka Ori massif, a global biodiversity hotspot on the island of Crete is part of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) monitoring network. The paper examines species and vegetation changes with respect to climate and altitude over a seven-year period (2001–2008) at a range of spatial scales (10 m Summit Area Section-SAS, 5 m SAS, 1 m2) using the GLORIA protocol in a re-survey of four mountain summits (1664 m–2339 m). The absolute species loss between 2001–2008 was 4, among which were 2 endemics. At the scale of individual summits, the highest changes were recorded at the lower summits with absolute species loss 4 in both cases. Paired t-tests for the total species richness at 1 m2 between 2001–2008, showed no significant differences. No significant differences were found at the individual summit level neither at the 5 m SAS or the 10 m SAS. Time series analysis reveals that soil mean annual temperature is increasing at all summits. Linear regressions with the climatic variables show a positive effect on species richness at the 5 m and 10 m SAS as well as species changes at the 5 m SAS. In particular, June mean temperature has the highest predictive power for species changes at the 5 m SAS. Recorded changes in species richness point more towards fluctuations within a plant community's normal range, although there seem to be more significant diversity changes in higher summits related to aspects. Our work provides additional evidence to assess the effects of climate change on plant diversity in Mediterranean mountains and particularly those of islands which remain understudied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil amphibians and reptiles from the earliest late Miocene (early Tortonian, MN 9) of Plakias (Crete, Greece) are described in this paper. Most of the material is fragmentary, precluding precise taxonomic assignment. Nevertheless, the herpetofauna of Plakias is here shown to be diverse, comprising at least six different taxa: an alytid anuran, a crocodilian, two turtles (a pan-trionychid and a geoemydid) and two squamates (an amphisbaenian and a colubroid snake). The crocodilian material represents the first such fossils described from Greece and furthermore, one of the latest occurrences of this group in Europe. The pan-trionychid and the geoemydid represent the oldest occurrences of these groups in Greece and further add to their scarce Miocene record from this country. The first description of a fossil amphisbaenian from Greece is also provided. The new specimens from Plakias add to our knowledge of the Miocene herpetofaunas of southeastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The pepper fruit fly Atherigona orientalis is a cosmopolitan tropical dipteran pest. The biology of A. orientalis is primarily associated with rotting fruits and vegetables, but also with vertebrate and invertebrate carrion and manure. In recent years, A. orientalis has also been reported as a major pest of pepper fruits. Hereby, we report, for the first time in Greece and, to the best of our knowledge, in Europe, cases of pepper fruit fly damaging pepper fruits in commercial greenhouse crops (in Crete in 2022). The possible implications and concerns associated with the occurrence of this novel pest are discussed. The pepper fruit fly Atherigona orientalis (Schiner 1968) (Diptera: Muscidae) is a cosmopolitan tropical pest which has been recently recorded in several European countries. The biology of the pest has been primarily associated not only with decomposing fruits and vegetables, but even vertebrate and invertebrate carrion, dung and faeces. Relatively recently, A. orientalis has been reported as a primary pest of pepper fruits as well. In this short communication, we report, for the first time in Greece and, to the best of our knowledge, in Europe, cases of pepper fruit fly damage to pepper fruits in commercial greenhouse crops (in Crete in 2022). In this direction, possible implications and concerns regarding the occurrence of this pest in Crete are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports the first record of Piseinotecus gabinierei (Mollusca: Piseinotecidae) in the Aegean Sea; the nudibranchs were found in December 2008 in two different sites on the island of Crete (South Greece). In the first location it was feeding on Eudendrium racemosum, a hydroid very common in this area while in the second location it was found crawling among algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Samaria Gorge is a dominant geomorphological and geological structure on Crete Island and it is one of the national parks established in Greece. Due to the complex tectonics and the stratigraphic ambiguities imprinted in the geological formations of the area, a comprehensive review of the geological models referring to the geological evolution of the area is essential in order to clarify its geomorphological evolution. In particular, the study area is geologically structured by the Gigilos formation, the Plattenkalk series and the Trypali unit. Regarding lithology, the Gigilos formation predominantly includes phyllites and slates, while the Plattenkalk series and the Trypali unit are mainly structured by metacarbonate rocks; the Plattenkalk series metacarbonate rocks include cherts, while the corresponding ones of the Trypali unit do not. Furthermore, the wider region was subjected to compressional tectonics, resulting in folding occurrences and intense faulting, accompanied by high dip angles of the formations, causing similar differentiations in the relief. Significant lithological differentiations are documented among them, which are further analyzed in relation to stratigraphy, the tectonics, and the erosion rate that changes, due to differentiations of the lithological composition. In addition, the existing hydrological conditions are decisive for further geomorphological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future changes in drought characteristics in Greece were investigated using dynamically downscaled high-resolution simulations of 5 km. The Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations were driven by EC-EARTH output for historical and future periods, under Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5. For the drought analysis, the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) were calculated. This work contributed to achieve an improved characterization of the expected high-resolution changes of drought in Greece. Overall, the results indicate that Greece will face severe drought conditions in the upcoming years, particularly under RCP8.5, up to 8/5 y of severity change signal. The results of 6-month timescale indices suggest that more severe and prolonged drought events are expected with an increase of 4 months/5 y, particularly in areas of central and eastern part of the country in near future, and areas of the western parts in far future. The indices obtained in a 12-month timescale for the period 2075–2099 and under RCP8.5 have shown an increase in the mean duration of drought events along the entire country. Drought conditions will be more severe in lowland areas of agricultural interest (e.g., Thessaly and Crete). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the variability and trends of the mean annual and seasonal surface air temperature in southern Greece, namely in Crete and in the islands of the southern Aegean Sea. The climatic data used are the mean monthly homogenized air temperature values of seven meteorological stations of the Hellenic Meteorological Service, for the period 1960–2004. A Bayesian trend analysis is performed by fitting alternative stochastic‐trend models based on the Log‐normal, the Normal, the Generalized Extreme Value and the Gumbel distributions. Posterior simulations results based on the best fitting model reveal the locations and time‐periods with the strongest and the weakest interannual trends for both mean and variance. Furthermore, a model comparison experiment based on Bayes Factors compares the above stochastic‐trend models with the corresponding ones with no‐time trends. The results are very significant since they reveal the locations and the seasons where interannual trends for both mean and variance have real grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trees have a crucial importance in the functioning of ecosystems on Earth. They are among the largest and longest-living taxa and provide habitat and shelter to numerous species belonging to diverse groups of organisms. Relict trees are of particular interest through their history of survival and adaptation, and because they potentially shelter rare or threatened organisms today. We investigated for the first time the diversity and distribution of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes found on the Cretan (Greek) endemic and relict phorophyte Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae). Our results showed that Z. abelicea hosts a high number of epiphytes. The Levka Ori mountain range in western Crete seems to be a hot spot for epiphytic lichens on Z. abelicea. Bryophytes had the highest diversity on Mt Kedros in central Crete but were absent from several other sites. Moreover, 17% of the studied lichens were recorded for the first time for Crete and 5% have never been recorded for Greece. Geographical position and browsing intensity seem to be important factors influencing the epiphytic community encountered. Tree morphology (dwarfed or arborescent) was also significant in influencing community composition although it was not possible to dissociate this factor from the effect of topography. Dwarfed individuals were found to have as much epiphytic diversity as arborescent trees. Ecological indicator values showed that high epiphytic diversity was found in some sites despite signs of eutrophication and disturbance due to pastoral activities and suggest the co-occurrence of both disturbance tolerant and sensitive species. Our results show how little is known about the biodiversity of Cretan phorophytes and highlights the need for further research on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tomato borer Tuta absoluta is a major pest of tomato mainly controlled by chemical insecticides. However, development of resistance to specific chemical classes has made control of the pest extremely difficult. Emamectin benzoate belongs to the avermectin mode of action and to date, low or no resistance levels against this insecticide have been documented. Recently, reduced efficacy of emamectin benzoate was documented, in a field population from Crete (ninefold resistant ratio (RR)). Subsequent laboratory selections with emamectin benzoate for eight sequential generations resulted in an increase of the RR to 60-fold, the highest resistance level reported to the particular insecticide. Hereby, we are presenting the characterization of emamectin benzoate resistance in T. absoluta. Sequencing of the GluCl and GABA receptor (rdl) genes, the molecular targets of emamectin benzoate indicted absence of non-synonymous SNPs. The use of known enzyme inhibitors (PBO, DEF and DEM) revealed that P450s partially synergized emamectin benzoate resistance, suggesting potential implication of metabolic resistance. RNAseq approach was used to identify differentially expressed genes, from emamectin benzoate resistant and susceptible T. absoluta populations. Twelve libraries were sequenced using the Illumina platform, which generated 81 Gbp, thus substantially increasing the number of publicly available genomic resources for this species. The de novo transcriptome assembly consisted of 549,601 contigs, grouped in 233,453 unigenes. Differential expression analysis and qPCR validation revealed over-expression of one unigene similar to cytochrome P450 (Clan 4) potentially implicated in emamectin benzoate resistance, supporting further the involvement of P450s in the observed resistance phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Springtime constitutes the most favorable period for Sahara dust outbreaks and transport over Eastern Mediterranean. This study investigates the aerosol properties during April 2005 using remote-sensing and ground-based measurements. Three dust events with high aerosol optical depth (AOD) values have been observed during the measuring period, with duration of two days, i.e. 11–12, 16–17 and 25–26 April 2005. In this paper we mainly focus on the intense dust event of 16–17 April 2005, when a thick dust layer transported from Libya affected the whole Greek territory. Very high AOD values obtained from Aqua-MODIS sensor were observed over Greece (mean 2.42±1.25) on 17 April, while the respective mean April value was 0.31±0.09. The AOD at 550 nm (AOD550) values over Crete were even larger, reaching ∼4.0. As a consequence, the PM10 concentrations over Athens dramatically increased reaching up to 200μgm−3. On the other hand, the fine-mode fraction values obtained from Terra-MODIS showed a substantial decrease in the whole Greek area on 17 April with values below 0.2 in the Southern regions. The intense dust layer showed a complex behavior concerning its spatial and temporal evolution and allowed us to study the changes in the optical properties of the desert dust particles along their transport routes due to the mixing processes with other aerosol types. The results from different measurements (ground-based and remote-sensing) did not contradict each other and, therefore, are adequate for monitoring of dust load over the Eastern Mediterranean. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Thiasos is the property of Edizioni Quasar di Severino Tognon s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We report an unusual biogeographical disjunction between the western and the eastern Mediterranean region. Cornu (Gastropoda: Helicidae) is a western Mediterranean land snail genus. It includes Cornu (Cornu) aspersum , which originated in north-western Africa and was distributed by humans for food or accidentally, first throughout the Mediterranean region and, subsequently, to all continents except Antarctica. It also includes three species belonging to the subgenus Erctella , which are all endemic to Sicily. We discovered a new species of Cornu on the Greek island of Crete. The morphological and molecular genetic analyses showed that the species from Crete is a disjunct representative of the subgenus Erctella. We hypothesize that the disjunction originated by a long-distance dispersal event of the ancestors of the Cretan species from Sicily by birds or by sea currents, perhaps facilitated by a tsunami or a similar event. The Cretan lineage separated from the Sicilian species in the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene. This divergence time is compatible with the hypothesis that the ancestor of Cornu cretense sp. nov. was washed from Sicily to Crete by the Zanclean flood that refilled the Mediterranean basin after it had dried up during the Messinian salinity crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medieval history of several populations often suffers from scarcity of contemporary records resulting in contradictory and sometimes biased interpretations by historians. This is the situation with the population of the island of Crete, which remained relatively undisturbed until the Middle Ages when multiple wars, invasions, and occupations by foreigners took place. Historians have considered the effects of the occupation of Crete by the Arabs (in the 9th and 10th centuries C.E.) and the Venetians (in the 13th to the 17th centuries C.E.) to the local population. To obtain insights on such effects from a genetic perspective, we studied representative samples from 17 Cretan districts using the Illumina 1 million or 2.5 million arrays and compared the Cretans to the populations of origin of the medieval conquerors and settlers. Highlights of our findings include (1) small genetic contributions from the Arab occupation to the extant Cretan population, (2) low genetic contribution of the Venetians to the extant Cretan population, and (3) evidence of a genetic relationship among the Cretans and Central, Northern, and Eastern Europeans, which could be explained by the settlement in the island of northern origin tribes during the medieval period. Our results show how the interaction between genetics and the historical record can help shed light on the historical record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of disaster risk management, this article proposes an interdisciplinary method for the analysis of multiple natural hazards, including climate change's influences, in the context of cultural heritage. A taxonomy of natural hazards applicable to cultural heritage was developed based on the existing theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Sudden-onset hazards, such as earthquakes and floods, and slow-onset hazards, such as wetting–drying cycles and biological contamination, were incorporated into the hazard assessment procedure. Future alteration of conditions due to climate change, such as change in heat waves' duration, was also taken into account. The proposed hazard assessment framework was applied to the case of the Historic Centre of Rethymno, a city on the northern coast of the island of Crete in Greece, to identify, analyze, and prioritize the hazards that have the potential to cause damage to the center's historic structures. The assessment procedure includes climate model projections, GIS spatial modeling and mapping, and finally a hazard analysis matrix to enable the sharing of a better understanding of multiple hazards with the stakeholders. The results can facilitate decision making by providing the vulnerability and risk analysis with the nature and spatial distribution of the significant hazards within the study area and its setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new micromorphological evidence from the 2013–2015 Palace and Landscape at Palaikastro (PALAP) excavations (Crete, Greece) provides significant information on a new area of the Bronze Age urban center of Palaikastro and its surrounding environment—a microecological narrative. The evidence suggests that slope processes had a significant impact on the area of three newly excavated buildings during the Neopalatial period (1650/1640–1440/1430 B.C.). The findings indicate that phases of gradual sediment accumulation, associated with flooding and eolian deposition, occurred during the Middle Minoan III to Late Minoan IA periods; such phases may indicate active slope or landscape management (e.g., terracing). In contrast, periods of increased slope instability, possibly relating to abandonment phases, occurred in the Late Minoan IB period. Combined with other archaeological evidence, micromorphological observations suggest a local aridity event in Late Minoan IB, and this dry period may be connected to larger regional and Mediterranean climatic patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Bronze Age in Crete, agriculture, pottery production, metallurgy, textiles, architectural feats, trade, and other specializations flourished. Throughout habitation on Crete, pottery production was an area of craftsmanship and practicality from the end of the Neolithic to Mycenean and Iron Age. This experiment, however, relates to the Late Minoan I period in the geographical region of Mochlos. The Artisan's Quarter is a building that contains various rooms that have been tied to craftsmanship and workshops. Once connected by a land bridge to the ancient site of Mochlos, this particular building would have been the place of vast amounts of pottery production. Activities would have ranged from the clay preparation to forming the vessels by hand or wheel to the decoration choices to the firing, and then finally to the exportation. For this experiment, the construction of the kiln was based on the research of two kilns of differing sizes and characteristics in this area, combined with other Late Minoan sites on Crete, to understand firing techniques and building aspects. Chalinomouri was another place of specialization. It was a small habitation that seemed to concentrate on agriculture. The pottery collected from this site varies in date and function, which is similar to that of the Artisan's Quarter. As seen in the excavations at Mochlos, the scored basins were discovered fragmented within various rooms of different activities, suggesting their fabrication and possible function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to develop a relationship between rainfall and surface water (runoff) in South Crete, Greece. This application was carried out on five sub-basins in the Messara valley, with a total surface of 1125 km2. Three factors were taken into account: the climate regime including precipitation and air temperature, the geological nature of the ground and the surface area of the basin. The development of the rainfall-discharge model consisted of three steps. Firstly, the actual evapotranspiration ( Er) was computed. Secondly, the storage capacity of each hydrogeological unit in every catchment area was geologically estimated and, lastly, the rainfall-runoff model was developed using the water balance equation and the above mentioned relationship of Er. The amount of variance in runoff between the sub-basins explained by those three factors was 92%. Decreases in mean annual precipitation by 17 and 15% for east and west Messara, respectively, predicted by the regional climate model REMO resulted in even more drastic mean runoff reductions by 29 and 32% at the respective sides of the valley. Furthermore, the coefficient of variation of runoff increased by more than 15% in the east side of the valley but dropped by only 1.5% in the west. The proposed rainfall-discharge relationship is a useful tool for hydrological management and evaluation of water resources under the present-day and future climate conditions in Messara valley in Crete. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to establish and verify a predictive vegetation model for plant community distribution in the alti-Mediterranean zone of the Lefka Ori massif, western Crete. Based on previous work three variables were identified as significant determinants of plant community distribution, namely altitude, slope angle and geomorphic landform. The response of four community types against these variables was tested using classification trees analysis in order to model community type occurrence. V-fold cross-validation plots were used to determine the length of the best fitting tree. The final 9node tree selected, classified correctly 92.5% of the samples. The results were used to provide decision rules for the construction of a spatial model for each community type. The model was implemented within a Geographical Information System (GIS) to predict the distribution of each community type in the study site. The evaluation of the model in the field using an error matrix gave an overall accuracy of 71%. The user’s accuracy was higher for the Crepis–Cirsium (100%) and Telephium–Herniaria community type (66.7%) and relatively lower for the Peucedanum–Alyssum and Dianthus–Lomelosia community types (63.2% and 62.5%, respectively). Misclassification and field validation points to the need for improved geomorphological mapping and suggests the presence of transitional communities between existing community types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study examines the effectiveness of the selected 'network' of Natura 2000 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) at a regional scale in Greece, in terms of its representativeness of plant biodiversity. Location The island of Crete is used as a case study because it is considered to be one of the 10 hotspots for biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin. Methods Hotspot analysis and complementarity algorithms are used to define priority areas for conservation and calculate their spatial overlap with the Natura 2000 SACs in Crete. Results The various categories of hotspots contain subsamples of plant categories, used for their definition. Spatial overlap among different categories of hotspots, areas of complementary diversity and Natura 2000 SCAs is low. Main conclusions The results show that the Natura 2000 SACs 'network' in Crete seems insufficient to ensure satisfactory representation of the regional plant biodiversity elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Greek island of Crete is endemic for both visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and recently increasing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). This study summarizes published data on the sand fly fauna of Crete, the results of new sand fly samplings and the description of a new sand fly species. Methods: All published and recent samplings were carried out using CDC light traps, sticky traps or mouth aspirators. The specific status of Phlebotomus (Adlerius) creticus n. sp., was assessed by morphological analysis, cytochrome b (cytb) sequencing and MALDI-TOF protein profiling. Results: Published data revealed the presence of 10 Phlebotomus spp. and 2 Sergentomyia spp. During presented field work, 608 specimens of 8 species of Phlebotomus and one species of Sergentomyia were collected. Both published data and present samplings revealed that the two most common and abundant species were Phlebotomus neglectus, a proven vector of Leishmania infantum causing VL, and Ph. similis, a suspected vector of L. tropica causing CL. In addition, the field surveys revealed the presence of a new species, Ph. (Adlerius) creticus n. sp. Conclusions: The identification of the newly described species is based on both molecular and morphological criteria, showing distinct characters of the male genitalia that differentiate it from related species of the subgenus Adlerius as well as species-specific sequence of cytb and protein spectra generated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]