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Name
Samaria National Park. (The site is also alternatively known as
Lefka Ori and White Mountains National Park)
IUCN
Management Category II and IX (National Park and Biosphere Reserve)
Biogeographical
Province 2.17.06 (Mediterranean Sclerophyll)
Geographical
Location Located on the southern coast of Crete in the White
Mountains (Lefka Ori) in the province of Sfakia, Department of Canee,
42km south of the northern coastal town of Chania. 35°15'N,
23°59'E.
Date
and History of Establishment The area was declared a national
park on 6 November 1962 by Royal Decree no. 781/1962 with subsequent
alignment of park boundaries according to decree no. 74/1964 both
of which were published in the Government Gazette 742/1962 and 103/1963
(200/1962 and 33/1964 Vol. A). It is managed by institutional guidelines
defined by the Legislative Decree no. 996/1971, under the jurisdiction
of the Forest Service. The site was awarded the European Diploma
by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 13 September
1979 and together with an extension of the site boundary to include
a section of the coast, the area was accepted as a Biosphere Reserve
in 1981.
Area
The area of the national park is 4,850ha. A peripheral zone encompasses
the entire national park and extends 1.5km to the north, a variable
distance of between 1km and 5km to the west, upto 11km to the east
and includes approximately 20km of coastline in the south.
Land
Tenure The national park is state owned as is the peripheral
zone, but within the latter local people continue to hold grazing
rights.
Altitude
From sea-level to 2,116m at Volakias. The peak at Pahues, just outside
the park but within the peripheral buffer zone, rises to 2450m.
Physical
Features The park has varied geomorphology with many peaks reaching
2000m and is divisible structurally into two parts. The north is
strongly eroded to form a number of valleys whilst the south is
characterised by deep gorges, probably resulting from tectonic movements
and the effects of the glaciations which occurred in the Quaternary
Period. The park encompasses the catchment of the river Tarreo which
flows all year round but exhibits seasonal fluctuations. The river
and its seasonal tributaries flow through spectacular gorges such
as Strefomadi, Potistiria, Germata, Kalokampos, Avlimolakas, Volakias
and Prinias, with the main 13km Samarian gorge narrowing down at
one spot to only 3.5m but towering up 600m. At St. Nicholas's church
the river goes underground for a distance of 4km before reappearing
at Kefalovrissi. The principle rock formations in the lower southern
section of the site consist of Permian-Carboniferous limestone with
layers of silica schist which have been differentially eroded by
the river to form waterfalls and pools and Triassic grey dolomitic
limestone in the upper northern part. There are numerous unexplored
caves and at least 22 springs.
Climate
The mean annual temperature at an altitude of 62m is 18°C and
annual precipitation 665mm.
Vegetation
The park has a diverse flora (over 220 species recorded from over
60 families) with elements representative of the eastern and
western
Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Near East and North Africa. The
peaks are barren limestone whilst at lower altitudes forest
and
maquis cover 3,114ha, phrygana (secondary growth of mainly Poterium
spinosum) covers 926ha and rocky or bare areas 791ha. There
are
isolated natural stands of high altitude Mediterranean forest containing
calabrian pine Pinus
brutia, funeral cypress Cupressus
sempervirens horizontalis, cretan maple Acer
creticum,
holm oak Quercus
coccifera and plane Platanus
orientalis. Maquis includes
stands of myrtle Myrtus
communis, heath Erica
arborea,
juniper Juniperus
oxycedrus, J.
macrocarpa, J.
phoenicea, Pistacia
lentiscus, Phamnus
oleoides, Crateagus monogyna, carob Ceratonia
siliqua,
wild olive Olea
sativa, O. oleaster, Cretan dittany Origanum
dictamus, O.
microphyllum,
Paeonia
clusii, Grecian sage Phlomis
fruticosa, P.
cretica,
thyme
Thymus
capitatis, rock rose Cistus
salvifolius and C.
creticus.
The 14 endemic species are Ebenus
cretica, Petromarula
pinnata,
Celsia
arcturus, Linum
arboreum, L.
caespitosum, Asperula
incana,
A.
idaea, Verbascum
spinosum, Hypericum
trichocaulon, Sanguisorba
cretica, Majorana dictamnos, Centaurea
idaea, C. agrentea and Alyssum
creticum.
Fauna
The gorge is famous for its population of wild goats Capra
aegagrus cretica numbering an estimated 300 individuals, a relict endemic
subspecies, protected by several legislative acts. The wild goat
population in the EEC (regarded as vulnerable by IUCN) is very unlikely
to exceed 1,500 animals with fewer than 1,000 in Greece, hence the
population in Samaria NP may well account for 30% of the EEC population,
although these populations are thought to have bred with domestic
goats.Mammals include Cretan wild cat Felis sylvestris cretensis,
badger Meles meles arcalus, beech marten Martes foina
bunites, weasel
Mustela numidica galinthias, dormouse Glis glis argenteus, fox Vulpes
vulpes and jackal Canis aureus. Fifty-one bird species were observed
in the park in 1984-85, of which 28 breed. Birds of prey include
lammergeier Gypaëtus
barbatus, griffon vulture Gyps
fulvus,
golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos and Bonelli's eagle Hieraeetus
fasciatus.
Cultural
Heritage The Gorge of Samaria and the whole of the White Mountains
have great historical significance for Cretans, as they were a mythical
residence of gods and nymphs and a stronghold of Christianity during
the Turkish occupation. There are five small stone-built churches,
scattered in the park, one dating back to 1397, while another, located
in the centre called Ossia Maria gave its name to the gorge. Two
churches and a house in the abandoned village of Samaria have been
restored. This is the site of the old town - Kaeno, while near the
present day village of Aghia Roumeli are the ruins of the ancient
city of Tarra.
Local
Human Population There are no sizable population centres near
the park and within its boundaries only the foundations of the settlement
- Samaria - remain after the evacuation of its inhabitants (there
were seven inhabited houses in 1960) was completed upon the designation
of the national park and the purchase of land from the villagers.
The total population of the community of Aghia Roumeli to the south
of the gorge and Seliniens and Lakitiens to the north is very small.
Visitors
and Visitor Facilities The park is open to the public from 1
May to 31 October from 0600h to 1600h with visitors restricted to
the marked trail. Tourism is increasing; from a recorded 5000 visitors
in 1969 to 230,000 per year by 1986. Access is from the town of
Chania (42km by road) to the park entrance at Xyloscalo-Omalos at
or by boat from Chora-Sfakion to Aghia Roumeli. Within the park
there are no roads and only one public path for foot tourists and
camping is strictly prohibited. No public overnight accommodation
exists in the park but is available in Aghia Roumeli as well as
in hotels in Chania. A tourist pavilion (with limited overnight
accommodation), an information centre and a restaurant have been
constructed at Omalos near the entrance. A restored guard's house
in Samaria village has first aid facilities and in emergency cases
there is the use of a helicopter landing area. Rest places have
been created at all the springs located along the 16km public trail
which runs from Xyloscalo in the north to the sea at Aghia Roumeli.
At four spots along this central trail; Neroutsico, Riza Sykias,
Aghios Nicolaos and Metamorphosis, fire fighting equipment and first
aid kits have been located..
Scientific
Research and Facilities Research has included a study of the
wild goat population (Schultze-Vestrum, 1971), the flora (Mavrommatis,
1976) and most recently, a faunistic survey covering reptiles, amphibians,
birds and mammals (Katsadorakis, 1985). The last study was carried
out during 1984-85 on contract to the Directorate of Forests in
Chania. Studies on plant and animal populations are carried out
periodically by visiting scientists who require a permit from the
Ministry of Agriculture and can be accommodated in Samaria village.
A trail system for botanical studies has been developed.
Conservation
Value No information
Conservation
Management In 1978 a management plan was prepared by New York
State University under the supervision of the Greek Forest Service
and is currently being revised. Recently the park regulations have
been finalized and were implemented at the same time as the general
management plan. A number of local, regional and national plans
cover the area thus giving several additional layers of protection
to the park. The World Heritage submission includes a map showing
the national park as a core area with an extensive protective buffer
zone surrounding it. Plans have existed for the expansion of the
park area since 1980. Such an expansion, to twice the present size,
would allow the authorities to have greater control of the grazing
lands and eliminate the threat of cross-breeding between the wild
and the feral goat populations. Natural regeneration has taken place
at the abandoned areas of the park, previously used as agricultural
lands. Water storage reservoirs have been constructed at three spring
heads to act as water sources for forest fire control.
Management
Constraints The natural resources in the park are adequately
safeguarded as a result of the rigorous protection measures enforced
since the designation of the national park (goat and sheep grazing,
timber felling and hunting is prohibited) and that there is no current
or foreseeable threat to the area. Prior to the creation of the
national park the local inhabitants engaged in stock raising, forestry,
agriculture and hunting. There is still some illegal hunting and
grazing in the remote areas and danger from forest fires persists,
probably caused by summer visitors. The gorges, nearby at Tripiti,
Domata and Elijas remain, apparently, unprotected, as well as the
forest at Mavrodasos while the park itself is estimated to include
only one-third of the total habitat range of the Cretan wild goat.
Plans to commercially exploit the park's forests and the proposed
construction of a cable car in the Gorge of Samaria have been rejected.
Staff
Consists of one forester (based in Chania), three park wardens and
ten forest wardens, some seasonal.
Budget
The park receives finances from a variety of sources, principally
from the Forest Service. After 1980 the budget has increased each
year and reached a total of more than 20 million drachmas in 1986
($158,000).
Local
Addresses
Department
of Forestry of the Greek Forest Service at Chania under the Regional
Inspectorate of Forests for Crete, of the Ministry of Agriculture.
References
Anon.
(1980). Gorge of Samaria National Park (European Diploma Series
No. 19). Council of Europe Strasbourg. 20pp.
Cassios, C. A. (1986). Samaria Gorge and Mt.Olympus National Parks
the Greek MAB Biosphere Reserves. Case Studies. Paper presented
at the European MAB Conference on Biosphere Reserves and Ecological
Monitoring: Implementation of Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves.
MAB Czechoslovakia 24-28 March 1986.
Duffey,
E. (1982). National Parks and Reserves of Western Europe. Macdonald,
London.
Mavrommatis,
G. (1976). Research on the Samaria's natural park ecosystem. Institute
for Forestry Research in Athens. Pp. 77-106 (in Greek with English
summary).
Katsadorakis,
G. (1985). Fauna of spodylozoon of "SAMARIA" National
Park. Monograph Chania, District Forest Office. (In Greek, not seen).
Samaria
Gorge Management Plan: A Landscape evaluation and information system
development. SUNY - University of New York School of Landscape Architecture
off-campus programme supervised by Greek Forest Service (1978).
Schultze-Westrum,
G. Th. (1971). The New National Park in the White Mountains of Crete.
WWF Yearbook 1970-71. Pp. 255-264.
Schultze-Vestrum,
G. Th. (undated). The White Mountains National Park of Crete Greece.
A report on its conservation status. Assenhausen. 15pp.
Smit,
C. J. and Wijngaarden, A van (1976) Threatened mammals in Europe.
Nature and Environment Series No. 10, Council of Europe.
Thornback,
J. and Jenkins, M. (1982). Terrestrial Mammals. Part VII. In: Threatened
Species of Wild Flora and Vertebrate Fauna. Report to the Commission
of the European Communities. The Nature Conservancy Council, Great
Britain.
Date
1983, revised August 1986 and February 1987.
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