Kourtney Harper GCU 114

Connections between Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity in Greece Since the beginning Greece has been known for its beautiful landscape and natural beauty. The country is covered in rugged and mountainous terrain. The mountainous areas of Greece are often scarcely populated and rather seen as a tourist attraction that contributes to the countrys natural beauty. The countrys cultural aspect is related to these beautiful landscape features because some of these mountain ranges were known to be the home of certain gods. Since religion and worship of the gods has always been an important aspect of Greek culture these landscapes contribute to that factor. As the population has grown, more people have increasingly chosen to live in these mountainous areas.

(Arcadian Mountains, Photo Cred. in References)

2 Greece inhabits the southernmost extension of the Balkan Peninsula. The landscape is closely related to the sea. The country is made up of mostly mountainous terrain and the land is 19% arable. There are three elements that dominate the country, which are the sea, mountains, and lowlands (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). These three elements provide a distinct variety that contributes to the beauty of the country. Many wild animals live in these mountainous areas, such as bears, goats, birds, and foxes. Greece is home to numerous mammals that cannot be found anywhere else besides within the country. The area with the largest amount of biodiversity is the wetlands. Greece consists of about 400 large and small wetlands. The most common wetland types are rivers, estuaries, deltas, lagoons, shallow lakes, shallow marine formation, and marshes (EKBY, 2010). The wetlands are an important part of Greece because they provide grazing land for farming animals, support the breeding of plants, and foster aquatic animals. Each wetland fosters a habitat for different animals.

(Farmer in Southern Greece)

(Olive Tree)

(Endangered Species: Mediterranean Monk Seal)

Unfortunately, biodiversity in Greece has been declining because of commercial fishing, farming, and loss of natural habitat due to population increase. Some of the animals that fall under this endangered list are the Cretan frog, audouins gull, blunt-nosed viper, Mediterranean monk seal, saker falcon, salmo peristericus, and Luschans salamander (Earths Endangered Creatures, 2006). Crete is one distinct place in Greece that is facing severe problems related to the preservation and restoration of biodiversity. Greece has more than 6,000 different species of plants, Emmer wheat being one of the most popular (Naveh, 2007). The decrease of biodiversity is an important issue in Greece because the countrys economy relies heavily upon tourism. The decrease in biodiversity not only affects the land, but it will also affect the people. People love Greece because of its beautiful landscape features and unique animals. This decline in

4 biodiversity has the potential of affecting the emotional and religious connection between the people and their land.

5 References Naveh, Z. (2007). Transdisciplinary challenges in landscape ecology and restoration ecology. (Vol. 7). Springer. Retrieved from http://www1.inecol.edu.mx/repara/download/III_1_TransdisciplinaryChallengesinLandscapeEco logyandRestorationEcologyAnAnthology.pdf

Earth's endangered creatures. (2006). Retrieved from http://earthsendangered.com/searchregions3.asp?search=1&sgroup=allgroups&ID=523 Biodiversity greece. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.climateadaptation.eu/greece/biodiversity/ Encyclopedia Britannica. (2013). Greece. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece

Goulandris Natural History Musuem. (2010). Greek wetlands. Retrieved from http://www.ekby.gr/ekby/en/EKBY_Greek_Wetlands_en.html (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mapsofworld.com/greece/geography.html [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://mycreativewayz.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/dark-andclose.jpg [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Olive_tree_Karystos2.jpg/2 20px-Olive_tree_Karystos2.jpg [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/B1/B1385538-0E2A-4633-B9B296F9E219EB81/Presentation.Large/Mediterranean-monk-seal-head-detail.jpg