Strasbourg, 22 January 2002 T-PVS/Emerald (2001) 16
[T-pvs Emerald 16e] English only
CONVENTION ON THE conservation of EUROPEAN wildlife
and natural habitats
Group of Experts for the setting up
of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest
---ooOoo---
Emerald Network Pilot Project in Cyprus
- Report -
Document established by
the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment
Environment Service, Cyprus
Contents
1. Background............................................................................................................................ 3
2. Framework of the pilot project............................................................................................. 3
3. The national team.................................................................................................................. 4
4. The Emerald workshop.......................................................................................................... 4
4.1. Background.......................................................................................................................... 4
4.2. Participants........................................................................................................................... 4
4.3. Report of the workshop........................................................................................................ 5
5. Identification of Habitats and Species of Nature Conservation Interest.............................. 5
5.1. Habitats types....................................................................................................................... 5
5.2. Flora species......................................................................................................................... 6
5.3. Bird species.......................................................................................................................... 6
5.4. Fauna species....................................................................................................................... 6
6. Follow-up................................................................................................................................ 6
1. Background
Τhe Republic of Cyprus ratified the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern, 19 September 1979) on the 18th of March, 1988.
Article 4 of the Convention is the key article οbliging all Contracting Parties to protect the habitats of wild fauna and flora species especially those listed in appendices I and II.
Τhe habitat conservation part of the Convention improved substantially when, in 1996, the Standing Committee adopted a Resolution concerning the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network, known as the Emerald Network.
When at the 18th meeting of the Standing Committee, the Rules for the Emerald Network [T‑PVS (98) 4] and the list of species [T-PVS (97) 30 rev] were adopted, it was possible to start the setting up of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCI).
Being a party to the Convention, Cyprus has taken fully into consideration its provisions and following Recommendation No. 16 (1989) and Resolution No. 3 (1996), has initiated the process for setting up the Emerald Network.
Οn 30.05.2000 the Council of Europe invited the Republic of Cyprus to implement an Emerald Network pilot project with the overall objective to develop a pilot database containing a fair proportion of Areas of Special Conservation Interest and to submit a proposal for a selected site designation to the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention. This project is a starting point that will lay the basis for the development of the Emerald Network at national level.
The following documents form the legal basis for developing the Network:
– Bern Convention, Articles No. 1,2,3,4,6b,9
– Resolutions No. 1 (1989), 3 and 4 (1996), saved 6 (1998)
– Recommendations No. 14 and 16 (1989), No. 25 (1991)
The main documents laying down the Emerald Network are:
– Document T-PVS/Emerald (99) 2 titled "Emerald Network version 1.1. User Manual"
2. Framework of the pilot project
The framework of the pilot project is defined by Contract No. 23/01 signed with the Council of Europe on 16 March, 2001, and it is as follows:
a. Set up a national team of experts related to the development of the Emerald Network. This team should comprise technical, administrative and scientific persons.
b. Organise a workshop during which the above mentioned team will be initiated to the Emerald principles and technicalities by the staff and the expert of the Council of Europe. In this work the Emerald Network software will be installed and explained together with instructions concerning the scientific background of data collection.
c. Evaluate the results on presence of species and habitats within each biogeographical region in the country.
d. Construct a pilot database on real sites, which will eventually become Emerald sites using the Emerald software.
Since the Republic of Cyprus is a candidate country for accession to the European Union, for all practical purposes the proposals regarding the Emerald Network will coincide with the proposals for the Natura 2000 network under Directive 92/43/EEC (Habitats Directive).
Under a relevant Life-third countries projects partly financed by European Union, 38 sites have been preliminary identified as possible candidates to be proposed for the National List of Natura 2000 sites in Cyprus. The complete list of these sites is appended to the report.
3. The national team
In April 1999, a LIFE-THIRD COUNTRIES project was initiated titled "Areas of Special Conservation Interest (Directive 92/43/EEC) in Cyprus" with the aim to help
Cyprus adopt the acquis communautaire in this field. Among other things, national experts were trained and got acquainted in using the "Natura 2000" database.
Currently, two experts are familiar with the database and working with it. The technical expert for digitizing the maps is also well trained.
The national Emerald team of Cyprus consists of the following:
· Antonis Antoniou – Environment Service (team leader)
· Myroula Hadjichristophorou – Environment Service
· Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis – Ministry of Interior
· Georgios Hadjimichael – Department of Town Planing and Housing
· Charalambos Christodoulou – Deparment of Forests
· Costas Papageorgioou – Department of Forests
· Nicos Chiamarias – Department of Forests
· Athena Della – Agricultural Research Institute
· Marina Argyrou – Department of Fisheries and Marine Research
· Panicos Panayides – Game Fund
· Antonia Theodosiou – Federation of Environmental and Ecological Organizations of Cyprus
4. The Emerald workshop
4.1. Background
The workshop was organized at the Agricultural Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, on 7-8 June, 2001. Main aims of the worshop were:
– reach better common understanding of the Emerald process,
– present existing and future activities,
– indicate problems and difficulties, and
– discuss technical details (e.g. date standards, software problems, country specific tables, etc.)
4.2. Participants
The workshop was opened with an address by the Minister of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment Mr. Costas Themistocleous. The following participated in the workshop:
· Helene Bouguessa - Council of Europe
· Mark Roekaerts - Technical expert
· Antonis Antoniou – Environment Service (team leader)
· Myroula Hadjichristophorou – Environment Service
· Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis – Ministry of Interior
· Georgios Hadjimichael – Department of Town Planing and Housing
· Charalambos Christodoulou – Deparment of Forests
· Costas Papageorgioou – Department of Forests
· Nicos Chiamarias – Department of Forests
· Athena Della – Agricultural Research Institute
· Marina Argyrou – Department of Fisheries and Marine Research
· Panicos Panayides – Game Fund
· Antonia Theodosiou – Federation of Environmental and Ecological Organizations of Cyprus
· Stelios Markides - Department of Town Planning and Housing
· Kyriakos Kyriakou - Department of Forests
· Charalambos Alexandrou - Department of Forest
· Christos Hadjiantonis - Department of Agriculture
· Kyriakos Alexandrou - Department of Agriculture
· Dina Christodoulou - Agricultural Research Institute
· Gregoris Papageorgiou - Agricultural Research Institute
· Nitsa Parouti - Agricultural Research Institute
· Christophoros Kizourides - Agricultural Research Institute
· Theodora Nicolaidou – Shammas- Department of Fisheries and Marine Research
· Loucas Psillakis - Environmental Committes of Limassol
4.3. Report of the workshop
During the workshop, staff member of the Council of Europe, Mrs Helene Bouguessa, explained the legal framework of the Emerald Network, criteria for selection of ASCI and introduced the following relevant Emerald documentation:
– background of the Emerald Network creation,
– legal basis of the Emerald Network,
– process of the site designation,
– relation of the Emerald Network to other ecological networks,
– current situation in building up the Emerald Network,
– Emerald Network-way forward.
After these introductions, the work focused on technical details concerning concepts, data sets and software.
The technical expert Mr. Mark Roekaerts had the following input:
– demonstrated the final version of the Emerald Network software,
– explained the main features of the Emerald Network database and the Standard Data Entry form,
– provided an explanation step-by-step on the introduction of the data into the Emerald Network database.
5. Identification of Habitats and Species of Nature Conservation Interest
5.1. Habitats types
Scrub and low forest vegetation with Quercus alnifolia |
Woodlands with Quercus infectoria (Anagyro foetidae-Quercetum infectoriae) |
Cedrus brevifolia forests (Cedrosetum brevifoliae) |
Serpentinophilous grassland of Cyprus |
Xerophilous Crataegus azarolus rar. aronia scrub, (sub-type) |
Genista fasselata brush (sub-type) |
Peat grasslands of Troodos |
Grey dunes with sclerophyllous shrub communities (Pistacio-Phammetalia, Cisto-Micromerietea) |
Pteridium aquilinum fields |
Aegean sub-Mediterranean deciduous thickets |
East Mediterranean garrigues |
Reedbeds and sedgebeds (Phragmition australis, Scirpion maritimi) |
Zygophyllum album shifting dunes (white dunes) |
Degraded phrygana with Shoenus nigricans |
Adiantetea |
Calycotome villosa scrub |
Pistacia lentiscus formations |
Arbutus andrachne matorral |
Send dunes with Echium angustifolium |
Supralittoral rocks |
Supralittoral rock pools |
Matorral with Quercus coccifera, Crataegus monoyna etc |
Vermetus shelf Sandy beaches |
5.2. Flora species
Arabis kennedyae Meikle |
Crocus cyprius Boiss. et Kotschy |
Crocus hartmannianus Holmboe |
Phlomis brevibracteata Turril |
Phlomis cypria Post |
Sideritis cypria Post |
Salvia veneris Hedge |
Astragalus macrocarpus DC. ssp. lefkarensis |
Pinguicula crystallina Sm. |
Tulipa cypria Stapf |
Chionodoxa lochiae Meikle in Kew Bull. |
Ophrys kotschyi H. Fleischm. et Soo |
Delphinium caseyi B.L.Burtt |
Ranunculus kykkoensis Meikle |
Centaurea akamantis T. Georgiadis & G. Chatzikyriakou |
Brassica hilarionis Post |
Scilla morrissi Meikle |
Acinos troodi |
Onosma troodi |
Cynoglossum troodi |
5.3. Bird species
Charadrius alexandrinus |
Oenanthe cypriaca |
Sylvia melanothorax |
Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae |
Lanius nubicus |
Parus ater cypriotes |
Otus scops cyprius |
Loxia curvirostra guillemardi |
Garrulus glandarius glaszneri |
Tachybaptus ruficollis |
Accipiter gentilis |
5.4. Fauna species
Rousettus aegypticus |
Ovis orientalis ophion |
Coluber cypriensis |
Natrix natrix cypriaca |
Chelonia mydas mydas |
Propomacrus bimucronatus |
6. Follow-up
Cyprus will continue the work on building-up the Emerald Network within the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan for the Conservation of Biological Diversity and the relevant work already undertaken under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).
Public authorities, scientific institutions, NGDs and local authorities will be involved in the process.
One site, namely "Alykes Larnakas", will be proposed sometime next year, by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus as the first national site to be included in the Emerald Network
Appendix 1. Preliminary list of sites proposed for the National List of Natura 2000 sites of Cyprus
Site code |
Site name |
|
1. |
CY1000001 |
periochi agias eirinis – kormakiti |
2. |
CY1000002 |
oroseira pentadaktylou |
3. |
CY1000003 |
periochi alakati |
4. |
CY2000001 |
mammari – deneia |
5. |
CY2000002 |
alykos potamos – agios sozomenos |
6. |
CY2000003 |
periochi mitserou |
7. |
CY2000004 |
dasos machaira |
8. |
CY2000005 |
madari – papoutsa |
9. |
CY2000006 |
dasos pafou |
10. |
CY3000001 |
giouti – periochi pachyammou |
11. |
CY3000002 |
akrotirio apostolou andrea – nisoi kleides |
12. |
CY3000003 |
akrotirio elai – limanouri |
13. |
CY3000004 |
salamina – limnes ammochostou |
14. |
CY3000005 |
kavo gkreko |
15. |
CY3000006 |
thalassio periochi nision |
16. |
CY3000007 |
phragman achnas |
17. |
CY4000001 |
periochi polis – gyala |
18. |
CY4000002 |
chat-potami |
19. |
CY4000003 |
koilada diarizou |
20. |
CY4000004 |
vouni panagias |
21. |
CY4000005 |
episkopi morou nerou |
22. |
CY4000006 |
periochi moulia |
23. |
CY4000007 |
xeros potamos |
24. |
CY4000008 |
mavrokolympos |
25. |
CY4000009 |
periochi skoulli |
26. |
CY4000010 |
chersonisos akama |
27. |
CY5000001 |
dasos lemesou – periochi kyparissias |
28. |
CY5000002 |
alyki akrotiriou – ygroviotopos fasouriou |
29. |
CY5000003 |
periochi episkopis |
30. |
CY5000004 |
ethniko dasiko parko troodous |
31. |
CY5000005 |
akrotiro asprop – petra romiou |
32. |
CY5000006 |
koilada limnati |
33. |
CY5000007 |
periochi asgatas |
34. |
CY5000001 |
kabo pyla |
35. |
CY5000002 |
alykes larnakas |
36. |
CY5000003 |
periochi lympion – agias annas |
37. |
CY5000004 |
dasos stayrovouniou |
38. |
CY5000005 |
periochi lefkaron |