Search

The island of Lesvos serves as a symbol of migration in the Mediterranean. From 2015 onwards, a steady stream of volunteer tourists began working on the island. Between 2019 and 2022 various 'crises' such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the fire at the Moria camp, and the rise of the far right in Greece significantly altered living conditions for both refugees and volunteer workers on the island. The authors employ a comparative patchwork autoethnography to rethink participant observation to fit the pandemic era. Through a situated, relational, and more-than-representational analysis of autoethnographic material and the confrontation between the authors' experiences, the aim of this paper is to investigate how migrant support volunteer tourism interacts with various simultaneous 'crises' ongoing on Lesvos. This led to a reimagining of the way we understand volunteer tourism over its 'pro vulnerable' approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of flash floods in urban catchments within the Mediterranean climate zone has witnessed a substantial rise due to climate change, underscoring the urgent need for early-warning systems. This paper examines the implementation of an early flood monitoring and forecasting system (EMFS) to predict the critical overflow level of a small urban stream on Lesvos Island, Greece, which has a history of severe flash flood incidents requiring rapid response. The system is supported by a network of telemetric stations that measure meteorological and hydrometric parameters in real time, with a time step accuracy of 15 min. The collected data are fed into the physical Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS), which simulates the stream's discharge. Considering the HEC-HMS's estimated outflow and other hydro-meteorological parameters, the EMFS uses long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to enhance the accuracy of flood prediction. In particular, LSTMs are employed to analyze the real-time data from the telemetric stations and make multi-step predictions of the critical water level. Hydrological time series data are utilized to train and validate the LSTM models for short-term leading times of 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, and 1 h. By combining the predictions obtained by the HEC-HMS with those of the LSTMs, the EMFS can produce accurate flood forecasts. The results indicate that the proposed methodology yields trustworthy behavior in enhancing the overall resilience of the area against flash floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study area of Rodafnidia on the island of Lesbos (Greece) is considered of archaeological interest, as Paleolithic stone tools have been recovered through excavation and collected from the ground surface in recent years. Geologically, the area is mostly covered by Quaternary post-alpine deposits and volcanic rocks. This paper presents the application of a local geophysical survey to determine the volume of the upper Quaternary deposits in which the Paleolithic artefacts can be found and the identification of their ignimbrite substrates. For this reason, the geoelectrical method was selected as the most appropriate for determining the lithostratigraphic subsurface layers. More specifically, a grid of twenty-one (21) Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) along with an Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was carried out. The interpretation of the results of these surveys, in conjunction with the results of older excavation trenches, revealed that the Quaternary deposits have been investigated at depths ranging from 0.5 up to 28.5 meters. Furthermore, the lithological boundary of these post-alpine deposits and their underlying pyroclastic ignimbrite flow (with resistivity 24.0–58.0 Ohm.m) seem to dip to the north. The volume of the Quaternary layer is proposed as the maximum depth for archaeological investigation with high chances to recover more Paleolithic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data recordings of the movement of vehicles can be enriched with heterogeneous and multimodal data beyond latitude, longitude, and timestamp and enhanced with complementary segmentations, constituting a semantic trajectory. Semantic Web (SW) technologies have been extensively used for the semantic integration of heterogeneous and multimodal movement-related data, and for the effective modeling of semantic trajectories, in several domains. In this paper, we present an integrated solution for the engineering of cultural heritage semantic trajectories generated from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and represented as knowledge graphs (KGs). Particularly, this work is motivated by, and evaluated based on, the application domain of UAV missions for documenting regions/points of cultural heritage interest. In this context, this research work extends our previous work on UAV semantic trajectories, contributing (a) an updated methodology for the engineering of semantic trajectories as KGs (STaKG), (b) an implemented toolset for the management of KG-based semantic trajectories, (c) a refined ontology for the representation of knowledge related to UAV semantic trajectories and to cultural heritage documentation, and (d) the application and evaluation of the proposed methodology, the developed toolset, and the ontology within the domain of UAV-based cultural heritage documentation. The evaluation of the integrated UAV solution was achieved by exploiting real datasets collected during three UAV missions to document sites of cultural interest in Lesvos, Greece, i.e., the UNESCO-protected petrified forest of Lesvos Petrified Forest/Geopark, the village of Vrissa, and University Hill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biogeopolitics, the key state stakeholders develop and aim to accomplish their geopolitical goals by (mis)management and biopolitical governance of vulnerable population. In this paper, this population refers to asylum‐related migrants who use or aim to use an asylum request as their entry mechanism to the European Union. This paper explores the emergence of biogeopolitics at the EU borderland between Turkey and Greece during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020. Statistics about irregular migration from Turkey to Greece, field observations in Lesvos (Greece) as well as media and social media discussions about COVID‐19 in Lesvos are analysed. In the biogeopolitics of COVID‐19, the governance and (mis)management of asylum‐related migrants include policies and practices to let these migrants to live or die, including regulating illegal border‐crossings, everyday living conditions at the reception centres, and actions regarding the pandemic. The COVID‐19 pandemic was used as an additional tool to foster biogeopolitics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation index time-series analysis of multitemporal satellite data is widely used to study vegetation dynamics in the present climate change era. This paper proposes a systematic methodology to predict the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using time-series data extracted from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The key idea is to obtain accurate NDVI predictions by combining the merits of two effective computational intelligence techniques; namely, fuzzy clustering and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks under the framework of dynamic time warping (DTW) similarity measure. The study area is the Lesvos Island, located in the Aegean Sea, Greece, which is an insular environment in the Mediterranean coastal region. The algorithmic steps and the main contributions of the current work are described as follows. (1) A data reduction mechanism was applied to obtain a set of representative time series. (2) Since DTW is a similarity measure and not a distance, a multidimensional scaling approach was applied to transform the representative time series into points in a low-dimensional space, thus enabling the use of the Euclidean distance. (3) An efficient optimal fuzzy clustering scheme was implemented to obtain the optimal number of clusters that better described the underline distribution of the low-dimensional points. (4) The center of each cluster was mapped into time series, which were the mean of all representative time series that corresponded to the points belonging to that cluster. (5) Finally, the time series obtained in the last step were further processed in terms of LSTM neural networks. In particular, development and evaluation of the LSTM models was carried out considering a one-year period, i.e., 12 monthly time steps. The results indicate that the method identified unique time-series patterns of NDVI among different CORINE land-use/land-cover (LULC) types. The LSTM networks predicted the NDVI with root mean squared error (RMSE) ranging from 0.017 to 0.079. For the validation year of 2020, the difference between forecasted and actual NDVI was less than 0.1 in most of the study area. This study indicates that the synergy of the optimal fuzzy clustering based on DTW similarity of NDVI time-series data and the use of LSTM networks with clustered data can provide useful results for monitoring vegetation dynamics in fragmented Mediterranean ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to study the influence of cartographic scale and flight design on data acquisition using unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to create augmented reality 3D geovisualization of geosites. The relationship between geographical and cartographic scales, the spatial resolution of UAS-acquired images, along with their relationship with the produced 3D models of geosites, were investigated. Additionally, the lighting of the produced 3D models was examined as a key visual variable in the 3D space. Furthermore, the adaptation of the 360° panoramas as environmental lighting parameters was considered. The geosite selected as a case study was the gorge of the river Voulgaris in the western part of the island of Lesvos, which is located in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea in Greece. The methodology applied consisted of four pillars: (i) scale-variant flight planning, (ii) data acquisition, (iii) data processing, (iv) AR, 3D geovisualization. Based on the geographic and cartographic scales, the flight design calculates the most appropriate flight parameters (height, speed, and image overlaps) to achieve the desired spatial resolution (3 cm) capable of illustrating all the scale-variant details of the geosite when mapped in 3D. High-resolution oblique aerial images and 360° panoramic aerial images were acquired using scale-variant flight plans. The data were processed using image processing algorithms to produce 3D models and create mosaic panoramas. The 3D geovisualization of the geosite selected was created using the textured 3D model produced from the aerial images. The panoramic images were converted to high-dynamic-range image (HDRI) panoramas and used as a background to the 3D model. The geovisualization was transferred and displayed in the virtual space where the panoramas were used as a light source, thus enlightening the model. Data acquisition and flight planning were crucial scale-variant steps in the 3D geovisualization. These two processes comprised the most important factors in 3D geovisualization creation embedded in the virtual space as they designated the geometry of the 3D model. The use of panoramas as the illumination parameter of an outdoor 3D scene of a geosite contributed significantly to its photorealistic performance into the 3D augmented reality and virtual space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the characteristics of low-intensity, small-scale family farming and related aspects of farming sustainability, in a marginally productive peri-urban landscape, that of the capital town of Lesvos Island, Mytilini, Greece. These aspects and characteristics are explored on the basis of farmers'-landowners' perceptions and visions of local landscape/land use change, through a questionnaire survey. Our findings indicate that production is basically aimed for self-consumption; such practices yield low incomes but bear high cultural values, mostly run by hobby and part-time farmers-landowners, lacking agricultural education. Olive crops are the dominant, but decreasing, form of production, while some other less-water-reliant cultivations are increasing. Peri-urban small family farming remains significant, but in need of new policies/strategies further promoting its value and role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and marine ecosystems are under high pressure from multiple activities that take place in coastal areas. Mapping and assessment of ecosystem services are considered essential to support decision-making in policies on the sustainable management of these areas. In this paper, an integrated indicator has been developed and applied to map and assess Recreation Opportunities that are supplied by coastal and marine ecosystems on the Island of Lesvos, North Aegean, Greece, which is an area of great natural wealth and beauty, but it is under numerous threats from various activities that take place within its boundaries. The proposed indicator integrates biophysical, social and managerial aspects of Ecosystem Services (ES) to assess potential ES flow. It is a flexible methodology that utilizes available data and user-friendly geo-technologies and can be used for local scale assessment. A discussion is carried out on the importance of such methodologies for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), and recommendations are made as to how this indicator may be improved. • A composite indicator for mapping and assessing coastal and marine Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES). • Integration of biophysical, social and managerial aspects of Ecosystem Services (ES). • Assessment of coastal recreation opportunities. • Mapping of Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) is of high importance for Marine Spatial Planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intervenes in recent debates on humanitarianism and security in migration by introducing the notion of 'pop-up governance'. It reflects on our two year-long fieldwork on Lesbos, Greece at the peak of Europe's migrant reception crisis (2015–2017). We present recent developments in border and migration management in the EU and we position these within recent migration debates. We then present the two main facets guiding migrant reception and governance in Lesbos, namely humanitarianism and security. Through our interviews with humanitarian and security actors we show how top-level government decisions followed and resembled the flexibility and adaptability of humanitarian and security operations. We define this turn as 'pop-up governance', which comprises a practice-based, abruptly introduced and retractable set of governance mechanisms responding to the situation at hand. We argue that the seemingly disorganised management of migration actually bore hallmarks of a new, flexible and adaptable mode of governance. Finally, we show how 'pop-up governance' can help move beyond present understanding of governance based either on the rule or its exception. This has important implications for our comprehension of migration, humanitarianism, security and the governance of vulnerable populations and contemporary socio-political crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine how bordered reality is being imposed and resisted in the context of where we are placed right now, 'Greece'. Drawing on ethnographic research and discourse analysis, conducted in Lesvos, Samos, and Athens (from March to September 2016), we examine how resistance to a bordered reality took place, as islands in the north Aegean, as well as Greek and European territories, were being remapped according to the logic of the hotspot. We approach this process methodologically from the situated angle of the embodiment of resistance in the concrete experiences of people (including the researchers ourselves), whose narratives reveal the distracted spatial coordinates of the 'hotspot regime', which becomes a traveling control device. Rather than approaching the hotspots on the five Greek border islands as geographically fixed entities we introduce the concept of the mobile hotspot to show how the logic of the hotspot suffuses the uneven geographies of a bordered reality. We use the ferry as an illustrative tool with which to critically explore the density, tensions, and conflict-ridden nature of movements within, around, and against the hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery phase of an earthquake-affected settlement is a time-consuming and complex process that requires monitoring, which is now possible using UAS. The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology followed and the results obtained by the exploitation of UAS for rapid multitemporal 3D mapping during the recovery phase of Vrisa traditional settlement, Lesvos island, Greece, which was highly damaged by the earthquake (Mw=6.3) on 12th June 2017. More analytically, three (3) flight campaigns covering the period July 2017 – May 2020 took place by means of an UAS for collecting high-resolution images on: i) 19th May 2019, ii) 29th September 2019, iii) 17th May 2020. Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multi Stereo View (MSV) methods have been applied and produced: i) Digital Surface Models – DSMs, ii) 3D Point Clouds – 3DPC and iii) Orthophoto-maps, of Vrisa. In parallel, GIS capabilities has been exploit to calculate building volumes based on: a) DSM produced by UAS image processing, b) DEM produced by 233 RTK measurements and c) building footprints derived by the digitization of the orthophoto-map of 25th July 2017. The methodology developed and implemented achieves extremely reliable results in a relatively easy, fast and economically feasible way, which is confirmed with great precision by field work. By applying the above-described methodology, it was possible to monitoring the recovery phase during July 2017 and May 2020 which 302/340 buildings that had been severely damaged by the earthquake have been demolished. A small number of new buildings have also been rebuilded and small number of buildings that have just begun excavations for their construction. An important parameter for obtaining reliable data and comparable results is the correct selection of flight parameters and their maintenance at all times when it is decided to take data, without affecting the accuracy of the results from taking photos or videos. Automation in the future of the proposed methodology can significantly accelerate the achievement of reliable results without the intermediate interpretation of orthophoto-maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years 3D building modelling techniques are commonly used in various domains such as navigation, urban planning and disaster management, mostly confined to visualization purposes. The 3D building models are produced at various Levels of Detail (LOD) in the CityGML standard, that not only visualize complex urban environment but also allows queries and analysis. The aim of this paper is to present the methodology and the results of the comparison among two scenarios of LOD2 building models, which have been generated by the derivate UAS data acquired from two flight campaigns in different altitudes. The study was applied in Vrisa traditional settlement, Lesvos island, Greece, which was affected by a devastating earthquake of Mw = 6.3 on 12th June 2017. Specifically, the two scenarios were created by the results that were derived from two different flight campaigns which were: i) on 12th January 2020 with a flying altitude of 100 m and ii) on 4th February 2020 with a flying altitude of 40 m, both with a nadir camera position. The LOD2 buildings were generated in a part of Vrisa settlement consisted of 80 buildings using the footprints of the buildings, Digital Surface Models (DSMs), a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and orthophoto maps of the area. Afterwards, a comparison was implemented between the LOD2 buildings of the two different scenarios, with their volumes and their heights. Subsequently, the heights of the LOD2 buildings were compared with the heights of the respective terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) models. Additionally, the roofs of the LOD2 buildings were evaluated through visual inspections. The results showed that the 65 of 80 LOD2 buildings were generated accurately in terms of their heights and roof types for the first scenario and 64 for the second respectively. Finally, the comparison of the results proved that the generation of post-earthquake LOD2 buildings can be achieved with the appropriate UAS data acquired at a flying altitude of 100 m and they are not affected significantly by a lower one altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes an infectious disease called bluetongue, a vector‐borne viral disease of ruminants, which has major implications and causes severe economic damage due to its effect on livestock. These economic costs are mostly ascribed to the trade restrictions imposed during the epidemic period. In August 2014, an epidemic of bluetongue occurred in the island of Lesvos, Greece. The epidemic was severe and evolved over time, lasting until December 2014. The total cases of infected farms were 490, including a total number of 136,368 small ruminants. In this paper, we describe a bluetongue virus serotype 4 (BTV‐4) epidemic and utilize Bayesian epidemic models to capture the spatio‐temporal spread of the disease. Our study provides important insights into the drivers of BTV transmission and has implications for designing control strategies. The results showed strong spatial autocorrelations, with BTV being more likely to spread between farms located nearby. The spatial modelling results proposed a certain spatial radius (~12 km) around the onset of a similar epidemic for imposing restrictions on animal movement, which can be sufficient for the control of the disease and limit economic damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports a palaeoxylotomical study of petrified palm remains (stem, root, rachis) collected from some fossil sites of Greece (Evros, Lemnos, Lesbos and Kastoria) aged to the late Oligocene to early Miocene. Five species of Palmoxylon were identified: P. daemonoropsoides (Unger) Kirchheimer, corr., P. chamaeropsoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov., P. coryphoides Ambwani et Mehrotra, P. sabaloides Greguss, P. trachycarpoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov. and P. phoenicoides Hofmann. Also found were two species of Rhizopalmoxylon (R. daemonoropsoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov., R. phoenicoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov.) and Palmocaulon sp. aff. Phoenix L. These new identifications add new elements to the forest assemblages of the Oligocene–Miocene Greek flora, useful for understanding the evolution of the Cenozoic palaeoclimate in the Aegean area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study is to provide new data on relative sea-level changes and neotectonics of the northeastern Aegean Sea region (Eastern Mediterranean) through the analysis of the coastal geomorphology of Lesvos, the third largest Greek island. There is a paucity of presently available data in this sector of the Aegean Sea, which is a tectonically active area strongly controlled by the North Anatolian Fault. In this paper, morphological, biological and sedimentary records of paleo-sea levels have been used to reconstruct relative sea-level changes, to identify variations in the tectonic regimes as well as to assess the paleoseismicity in the studied areas. According to the results, late Quaternary relative sea-level changes at Lesvos were not homogenous and variations in the tectonic setting played a crucial role in the coastal evolution. The NW-SE trending faults on the southern shore of the island control a significant uplift affecting about 30km of coastline. This uplift trend is controlled by the footwall of the Lesvos Fault, a major offshore normal fault that has been subject to relatively little quantitative investigation. Radiocarbon dating indicated that the last co-seismic uplift took place at 3365–3963calyr BP and resulted in about 0.75m of vertical displacement. In contrast, all the paleo-sea-level markers mapped in the northeastern sector were presently underwater and, despite the high seismicity of the area, no evidence of coastal uplift was observed in this part of the island. Thus, the paper provides the first field evidence of a differential late Quaternary evolution of Lesvos Island. In addition, results represent the first quantitative information on the activity of the Lesvos Fault, suggesting a reconsideration of its importance in the neotectonics of the area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper introduces an approach of enhancing the tourism experience by incorporating a tool that adopts a 'web-to-mobile' model into tourism websites that allows for the adaptation of personalized tourism web content to be transferred to a mobile application hosted at users' mobile device. These applications upon installation to mobile devices allow for browsing of adapted multimedia content with no requirement for constant network connection. Furthermore so we convey the development experiences of a multiplatform mobile tourist guide aimed at producing a personalized mobile guide application used in both an online and offline modes offering services to tourists such as a personal profiling-based recommendation system, a commenting system and location-based services. This paper focuses on the design, implementation and usability case study of a Multi-Platform Tourist Guide system for the Municipal Council of Mytilene, Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integrated framework for the design of an electricity supply system for an isolated grid, promoting renewable energy sources (RES) in the context of distributed generation (DG) is developed. To this end, eight (8) alternative scenarios are developed with different percentage of RES penetration and several evaluation criteria considered that included economic, environmental, technical, social, and legislative issues. The scenarios are comparatively evaluated by means of the weighted summation method where the relevant criteria weights are determined through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Special attention is given in the optimal placement of RES facilities using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and the way to model the criteria via related environmental software. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the evidence for the life and career of the Lesbian tyrant Myrsilos. Following an examination of the ancient testimonia for Myrsilos in the text of Alcaeus and later sources, the name Myrsilos is then considered in relation to the Hittite royal name Muršiliš, Myrsilos as an alternate name for the Lydian king Kandaules and various toponyms in Lydia and Caria that appear to be derived from the same underlying name or title. The consequences of the distribution of these names is then considered in the cultural and historical context of the Aegean-Anatolian interface, with implications for early Lesbian history and cultural continuity from the Late Bronze Age down to the Archaic period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Agri-food products are more and more considered and treated as valuable local assets. The valorisation of such local assets is an issue of great importance, especially in disadvantaged areas. In this paper, the case of the olive oil of Lesvos Island in Greece is presented. We seek to analyse the supply chain and examine the benefits that are distributed to its various actors by comparing three different olive oil products: PGI, organic and conventional olive oil with the use of two dimensions: size of production and success of the producers. The data come from quantitative and qualitative research to different actors across the supply chain and from published and unpublished local and national sources. The findings indicate that olive farmers are “cut-off” from the benefits of the products to a great extent. Small bottlers are the ones that receive the most benefits, as they can ignore big retailers. Overall, the absence of consensus and common management between the different actors, along with a complex and very competitive international market create uneven impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper suggests that Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) constitute a key factor for promoting economic growth, especially for tourism economy-based regions. The adoption of ICTs in the tourism sector, assists the produced outcomes, introduces innovation and facilitates the shift to a knowledge-based economy. The case of the Lesvos island, in Greece, is considered. A survey is contacted, concerning the development of the tourism sector in Lesvos Island and the role of ICT-use. Data collected from both Greek and foreign tourists and were descriptively analysed. Results indicate the critical role of alternative types of tourism for the development of the tourism sector in the island, while ICT-use has the potential to extend the period of tourism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops an integrated framework to evaluate land suitability for wind farm siting that combines multi-criteria analysis (MCA) with geographical information systems (GIS); an application of the proposed framework for the island of Lesvos, Greece, is further illustrated. A set of environmental, economic, social, and technical constraints, based on recent Greek legislation, identifies the potential sites for wind power installation. Furthermore, the area under consideration is evaluated by a variety of criteria, such as wind power potential, land cover type, electricity demand, visual impact, land value, and distance from the electricity grid. The pair-wise comparison method in the context of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to estimate the criteria weights in order to establish their relative importance in site evaluation. The overall suitability of the study region for wind farm siting is appraised through the weighted summation rule. Results showed that only a very small percentage of the total area of Lesvos could be suitable for wind farm installation, although favourable wind potential exists in many more areas of the island. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Protected designations of origin (PDOs) and protected geographical indications (PGIs) are an important aspect of the recent turn towards quality agri-food products in the EU. However, their actual impact on rural development is not clear. This paper contributes to the debate over the impact of PDOs and PGIs by focusing on Ladotyri Mytilinis PDO, a cheese produced exclusively on Lesvos island, Greece. The socio-economic and environmental impact of Ladotyri Mytilinis PDO is based on findings from two field researches. Secondary data by the National Statistical Service of Greece and by other sources are also used. According to the findings the impact of Ladotyri Mytilinis PDO cheese, and of its various actors that construct its supply chain, is on the one hand very important for Lesvos island but on the other hand not radically different when compared to the impact of Graviera, a close substitute and non-PDO cheese, which is also produced in the area by the same actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Regional Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) may contribute significantly to the promotion of sustainability through several means connected with their functioning. Nevertheless, several challenges can present themselves during the planning and implementation of such initiatives. The aim of this paper is to underline these limitations through the relevant literature and highlight their main consequences on the achievement of sustainability. An empirical study, investigating the perception of students regarding the constraints to achieving sustainability in a regional university of Greece, was conducted and is discussed in relation to the university''s specific characteristics – its fragmented nature with campuses situated on five Aegean islands, its public status as well as its role in creating and dispersing knowledge in less developed areas of the country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents high-resolution results of palynological and sedimentological analyses undertaken on two sediment cores from the Megali Limni (ML) basin, an area characterised by serpentine soils, in the southeastern part of Lesvos Island, Greece. Six tephra horizons and multiple radiocarbon dates provide independent controls towards the development of a chronological framework. The composite pollen record spans the period from 22 to 62 thousand years ago (ka) BP and shows a number of oscillations between steppe, forest-steppe and forest, in concert with North Atlantic millennial-scale variability. Vegetation during the late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 was grassland/steppe, indicating cold and arid conditions, while sediment composition suggests increased erosion rates. Arboreal populations (dominated by Pinus and to a lesser extent deciduous Quercus) expanded during MIS 3 interstadials, suggesting increases in precipitation and temperature. Within the course of the longer interstadials, changes in vegetation composition point to a trend towards increased aridity and sometimes decreasing winter temperatures. During intervening stadials, vegetation was composed mainly of Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Gramineae, indicating reversals to arid and cold conditions, with most extreme conditions recorded during stadials corresponding to Heinrich Events. During the course of MIS 3, the basin was progressively infilled with sediments. Only a small portion of MIS 2 is represented in the sequence, showing a short-lived expansion of arboreal populations. Comparisons with other pollen sequences from southern Europe underscore the important role of Pinus throughout the last glacial period, a reflection of the serpentine soils of the Megali Limni area, where Pinus brutia dominates today. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The point of departure of this paper is the claim that dialectal variation should be approached not only as a geographical reflex but also, in line with recent discourse analytic approaches, as an interactional resource for various communicative objectives. Our analysis is based on 11 spontaneous conversational narratives produced by a Greek dialectophone from the island of Lesbos. We observe that she does not straightforwardly comply with the researcher's request to speak the (northern Greek) dialect. Rather, in order to produce dialectal features, she discursively constructs the spatio-temporal context of her village as it used to be half a century ago. It is mainly by animating, via direct speech, the voices of the foretime inhabitants of her village that she shows, rather than speaks, the local dialect. She achieves this by successfully adopting the discourse identity of performer, using devices like ellipsis, narrative present tense and prosodic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today coastal erosion is usually exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change and results in the loss of income and cultural norms, as well as in the loss or degradation of ecosystem services. Public perceptions and participation have an important role – often a legal one – in coastal management and response to coastal hazards. The objective of this study is to assess residents' perceptions about coastal erosion and the significance of coastal protection and restoration. This paper presents the results of a study conducted in Mytilene, the main city on the island of Lesvos, Greece. Residents recognize the impact of coastal erosion on their daily lives and recognize the anthropogenic causes of coastal erosion problems including climate change impacts. They admit their share in creating pressures and impacts on the beaches and are aware of the common protection works such as sand nourishment, groins and breakwaters construction. However, while they perceive beaches as the public common, residents indicated unwillingness to pay for coastal zone restoration and protection. Results suggest that respondents prefer volunteering activities and public awareness actions to payment or charges for coastal zone protection. [Display omitted] • Mytilene's residents are aware of the coastal erosion issues and connect them mostly with human uses • Mytilene's residents are also aware of the most common technical measures to tackle erosion problems • Most of the respondents choose not to pay for coastal protection/restoration measures • Respondents likely to pay choose the two reasons related with intragenerational justice and coastal resources future use [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geosites are an important part of geoheritage, thus their detailed mapping is crucial for their management, protection and promotion processes. However, there is no specific approach to three-dimensional (3D) mapping of geosites and a full investigation is required, considering the current advances in the science of Geoinformatics and the need for setting up an integrated system that will suggest a suitable way of mapping areas of geological significance. The main purpose of this study is to explore new approaches to the 3D mapping of geosites, where the unmanned aerial vehicles' (UAVs) flight planning is based on the digital elevation model (DEM). The case study that is being examined is the tectonic window of Mount Olympus, located in the southeast of Lesvos island, Greece. In this paper, a methodology has been developed to create flight plans for geosite 3D mapping. This methodology consists of three main stages: (a) flight planning based on SRTM-DEM, (b) data acquisition and image-based 3D modelling, and (c) comparison (flight plans and results). A semi-automated algorithm was developed for designing the flights, taking into account the topography of the mapped area (slope, aspect, elevation) and the final cartographic derivatives. The flight plans were compared with each other in levels of data collection, flight characteristics and their results. The results of this study are dense point clouds, DEMs and orthophotomaps. The algorithms that have been used for the comparison of point clouds were (I) surface density, (II) number of neighbours (NN), and (III) roughness and surface profile. The conclusion drawn from this study is that the DEM is a valuable source of information that can be used in designing flight plans specially shaped on the topography of each geosite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term landscape is more and more used as an "umbrella" concept, covering a series of cultural, productive and ecological processes. In order to uncover mechanisms, monitor transformations and predict changes, a complicated set of interacting factors has to be taken into account. This paper presents a model for estimating social and policy impacts on agricultural landscapes, based on the assumption that agricultural landscapes are shaped at "macro" (landscape) level by "micro" interventions at farm level. The model consists of three parts: an "ecological processes" part, which deals with processes that shape the ecological and aesthetic value of a landscape, a "population dynamics" part, which examines farmer population dynamics and a "policy impact" part, which deals with direct or indirect impacts on farming systems and farmer dynamics and refers to CAP Rural Development Measures. The model is applied for the olive and graze land agricultural landscapes of Lesvos (Greece). Results, apart from revealing landscape change patterns; help to illustrate some mechanisms behind this change and indicate that Rural Development Measures are inherent with minor but important malfunctions that cannot lead to sustainable landscape management and rural development in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to study the variations of radon and daughter nuclei during treatment in the thermal spas of Lesvos Island (Greece). For this purpose, in the thermal spas of Lesvos we have measured the radon concentrations of thermal waters, as well as indoor radon, daughter and coarse particle (>500 nm) concentrations. Various instruments and procedures were employed for measurements. Radon concentrations of thermal waters were found to lie in the range 10 Bq l-1 and 304 Bq l-1. Concentration peaks both for radon, radon daughter and coarse particle, were found to appear during filling of baths in the treatment process. The doses delivered to the bathers during treatment were in the range of 0.00670–0.1279 mSv per year, while the doses delivered to personnel were below 20 mSv per year. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a post-earthquake scenario, the semantic enrichment of 3D building models with seismic damage is crucial from the perspective of disaster management. This paper aims to present the methodology and the results for the Level of Detail 3 (LOD3) building modelling (after an earthquake) with the enrichment of the semantics of the seismic damage based on the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98). The study area is the Vrisa traditional settlement on the island of Lesvos, Greece, which was affected by a devastating earthquake of Mw = 6.3 on 12 June 2017. The applied methodology consists of the following steps: (a) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) nadir and oblique images are acquired and photogrammetrically processed for 3D point cloud generation, (b) 3D building models are created based on 3D point clouds and (c) 3D building models are transformed into a LOD3 City Geography Markup Language (CityGML) standard with enriched semantics of the related seismic damage of every part of the building (walls, roof, etc.). The results show that in following this methodology, CityGML LOD3 models can be generated and enriched with buildings' seismic damage. These models can assist in the decision-making process during the recovery phase of a settlement as well as be the basis for its monitoring over time. Finally, these models can contribute to the estimation of the reconstruction cost of the buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares two outwardly different groups of female homosexuals. One group is the community group, which includes nine women drawn from lesbians who reside in a large city and call themselves Kamp. While the campus group is consist of four students and one teaching assistant who are enrolled at a mid-western university. Each of the women was subjected to intensive interview over a period of time. Despite the detail of the data, the smallness of the study population restricts the possibility of generalizing the data to be presented herein. Before discussing the investigation proper, lesbianism is first defined in this paper. The term lesbian originated on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea near Greece. About 590 B.C., many young female inhabitants from Lesbos engaged in mutual sex practices. Hence the term lesbian refers to an erotic relationship between two women. The primary picture presented by the lesbians interviewed in this investigation was hopelessness. Most of them seemed confused regarding their identity. The phrase I do not know was frequently expressed in reference to the future views and plans of lesbians. The knowledge gleaned from interviewing lesbians can paint no totally accurate picture but some commonalities among them.

The article presents several conference papers related to the archeological studies in islands located in the Northeast Aegeans. It mentions the continuing excavations on Laziridis property in Limnos Island. It features the exploration made in the harbours of Lesbos such as Mytilene, Mythemna, and Antissa. It also discusses the continuing work inside the Mytilene castle.

Air pollution is one of the most important branches of environmental science as it affects human health, climate and ecosystems. Emissions of air pollutants from transport (vehicles and ships) in port cities strongly affect air quality at local scales, warranting for a combination of theoretical and experimental studies to identify pollution hotspots. The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology for developing a hybrid emission inventory from transport sector for two port cities located respectively on the Northern Aegean islands of Chios and Lesvos. Emission inventories were constructed for the year 2014 based on top-down and bottom-up approaches. Official data from local authorities and survey results were used for the calculation of emissions. Traffic emissions were spatially allocated to the road network based on population data and hourly traffic counts, and distributed over time (on an hourly basis) with the use of local temporal coefficients. Regarding carbon monoxide road emissions, the highest quantities are mainly emitted by Passenger Cars (43%,32% in Chios and Lesvos respectively) while for PM 10 emissions, trucks have the largest share (66% in Chios and 86% in Lesvos). The pollutants that are emitted in greater quantities from the ships at the ports of Mytilene and Chios are NO x , followed by SO 2 and CO. Most of the ship emissions in the ports occur by the ships at berth, as they remain berthed for hours whereas maneuvering lasts 15–20 min. As for the daily contribution of the two transport sources to the pollution profile of Mytilene, road emissions are higher for almost all pollutants. However, the contribution of ship emissions is not negligible, especially during the touristic period when marine traffic increases and emissions close to the port area become more important than those from road transport. Image 1 • CO emissions are related to Passenger Cars while PM emissions are related to trucks. • Ships affect mostly NO x , SO 2 and PM emissions. • Temporal coefficients from real time traffic counts were developed. • Transport sectors affect air quality almost equally during the touristic period. • Hybrid emission inventories reflect more accurately reality. The study applies a methodology for developing a hybrid emission inventory from transport sector for port cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, UAV or RPAS) is increasingly acknowledged, researched, tested and applied in a vast variety of fields. Earth Sciences are among the greatest beneficiaries of this development, in terms of having more than an eye in the sky during field work, approaching inaccessible locations and applying Structure from Motion (SfM) methodologies for research in geomorphology, geological mapping, hydrological modeling, mass movement mapping etc. Detailed mapping and evaluation of findings is a critical element of syn- and post-disaster period, for assessing the impacts and their spatial distribution, helping recovery by facilitating aid allocation, coordinating relief efforts, monitoring lifelines status, monitoring of clean-up, and assessing secondary effects or induced hazards. In this paper, the research team summarizes the experience obtained during their involvement in natural disaster mapping of recent (2017-2018) significant catastrophic events in Greece. A survey team equipped with cost effective drones was deployed during and/or after disastrous earthquake, mass movement, flash flood and wildfire events. This resulted in a variety of product types in terms of contribution to post disaster research and emergency management, resulting also in a number of pros and cons in terms of prerequisites and risks of the process. Mapping with drones is essentially field work, and is designed and executed as such. Moreover, it is aviation, so application of strict safety guidelines is a prerequisite. The combination of the two at disaster sites requires technical efficiency, expertise according to the disaster type, team coordination, pilot skills, experience and training, along with a flexible mission risk assessment at all times.Herewith, results of disaster mapping are presented for the earthquake (2017) and mass movements (2017-2018) in Lesvos, the deadly flash floods in West Attica (Mandra, 2017, 2018) and the deadly wildfires in East Attica (Rafina, Mati, 2018). Pros, such as capturing of phenomena dynamics and intact disaster scenery in explicit detail and cons, such as risks, equipment limitations and safety issues are discussed, and some elementary guidelines for the overall process are proposed. Following the cycle of disaster management, the process involves steps to be taken during the pre-disaster phase, the warning/alarm phase, the impact and emergency response phase etc. so that a drone equipped team be readily operational and effective at any given time a disaster occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]