Agroforestry and the Climate Crisis: Prioritizing Biodiversity Restoration for Resilient and Productive Mediterranean Landscapes
Rigas Tsiakiris,
Kalliopi Stara,
Yannis Kazoglou,
Petros Kakouros,
Dimitris Bousbouras,
Anastasios Dimalexis,
Panayotis Dimopoulos,
Georgios Fotiadis,
Ilias Gianniris,
Ioannis P. Kokkoris,
Konstantinos Mantzanas,
Maria Panagiotopoulou,
Olga Tzortzakaki,
Vassiliki Vlami,
Michael Vrahnakis
Affiliations
Rigas Tsiakiris
Green Institute Greece, (Prasino Institouto), 7 Stadiou Str., (Attention Thalia Roussou), 10562 Athens, Greece
Kalliopi Stara
Laboratory of Ecology, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Yannis Kazoglou
Laboratory of Rangeland Science and Management of Protected Areas, Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences and Design, University of Thessaly, 43131 Karditsa, Greece
Petros Kakouros
Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Laboratory of Botany, Section of Plant Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Georgios Fotiadis
Laboratory of Forest Botany-Geobotany, Department of Forestry and Natural Environment Management, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Ilias Gianniris
Green Institute Greece, (Prasino Institouto), 7 Stadiou Str., (Attention Thalia Roussou), 10562 Athens, Greece
Ioannis P. Kokkoris
Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 30131 Agrinio, Greece
Konstantinos Mantzanas
Laboratory of Rangeland Ecology, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Panagiotopoulou
Independent Researcher, Frangini Str. 9, 54624 Thessaloniki, Greece
Olga Tzortzakaki
Biodiversity Conservation Lab, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Vassiliki Vlami
College Year in Athens (CYA), 11635 Athens, Greece
Michael Vrahnakis
Laboratory of Rangeland Science and Management of Protected Areas, Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences and Design, University of Thessaly, 43131 Karditsa, Greece
This study deals with the future of the traditional agroforestry systems (TAFSs) in the northern Mediterranean Basin. Important productive systems, such as ancient non-irrigated olive groves and extensive silvopastoral systems, from subalpine grasslands to coastal landscapes, are being irreversibly degraded, threatening the bio-cultural heritage of the Mediterranean region, an area recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. In the midst of the global biodiversity and climate crisis, immediate actions are proposed for the protection and conservation management of TAFSs, within a new EU policy framework. Having the TAFSs of Greece in the spotlight of this analysis, a four-step approach was used in order to review the value of agroforestry in terms of (a) biodiversity (birds, mammals, invertebrates and soil biota), (b) agroforestry landscapes, such as traditional olive groves on terraces and valonia silvopastoral systems, (c) ecosystem services, especially concerning cultural values, and (d) the modern threats to traditional agroforestry. Through this research, problems are highlighted and European policy priorities are defined. Our conclusion is that there is an immediate need to revise the European Union rural, forestry, and environmental policies in the Mediterranean region, following the provisions of the new EU Nature Restoration Law, in order to revive agroforestry landscapes and make them productive and sustainable again for the benefit of rural economies, local communities, and biodiversity, especially in marginal Mediterranean mountainous and island areas, where depopulation and susceptibility to wildfires are major threats.
