Olga Tzortzakaki

• Biology PhD
• University of Patras

Greece is a European hotspot for Orthoptera (378 species), yet it has been scarcely explored. We investigated the distribution and habitat preferences of the species of two endemic Orthoptera genera, Parnassiana and Oropodisma, in the montane ecosystems of central Greece. We conducted field surveys from 2021 to 2024 in 174 sites across seven mounta...

Orthoptera species are vulnerable to extinction on a global scale. Greece hosts 35% (380 species) of the European Orthoptera fauna with a high degree of endemic (37%) and threatened species (37%). We sampled 46 plots (100 m ² ) to investigate the distribution and ecological requirement of two Greek mountain endemic and red‐listed species: Parnassia...

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...

Aim Anthropogenic‐driven biodiversity loss can impact ecosystem stability. However, most studies have only evaluated the diversity–stability relationship at the local scale and we do not fully understand which factors stabilize animal populations and communities across scales. Here, we investigate the role of species dispersal ability, climate, spa...

Greece is a European hotspot for Orthoptera (378 species), yet it has been scarcely explored. We investigated the diversity patterns of Orthoptera and the ecological mechanisms shaping them by sampling 15 sites (30 plots of 1ha) across five habitats in Mount Mitsikeli, a Natura 2000 site. The mountain is deemed rich (0.4 species/km 2), hosting 34 s...

Wind harnessing is a fast-developing and cost-effective Renewable Energy Source, but the land impacts of wind power stations are often overlooked or underestimated. We digitized land take, i.e., the generation of artificial land, derived from 90 wind power stations in Greece constructed between 2002 and 2020 (1.2 GW). We found substantial land take...

ENGLISH: Citizen science is an emerging field worldwide that connects science to society. Apollo is the first national voluntary butterfly biomonitoring scheme in Greece, aiming to protect butterflies and their habitats, educate citizens in species identification and monitoring, promote science and disseminate the knowledge generated to decision-ma...

Wind harnessing is a fast-developing and cost-effective Renewable Energy Source, but the land impacts of wind power stations are often overlooked or underestimated. We digitized land take, i.e., the generation of artificial land, derived from 90 wind power stations in Greece constructed between 2002 and 2020 (1.2 GW). We found substantial land take...

Greece hosts 35% of European Orthoptera fauna (378 species), with a surprisingly high degree of endemism (37%) and a high degree of red-listed species (37%). We investigated the ecology of two endemic and red-listed species through plot sampling (100 m2) in the summer of 2021 and 2022. The Tymphrestos Greek Bush-cricket (Parnassiana tymphrestos) is...

Η διατήρηση οικοσυστημάτων υψηλής οικολογικής ακεραιότητας αποτελεί στόχο της Παγκόσμιας Στρατηγικής για τη Βιοποικιλότητα, συνάδοντας με το στόχο της αυστηρής προστασίας του 10% του εδάφους στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Παρουσιάζουμε τον εθνικό χάρτη των Αδιατάρακτων Φυσικών Περιοχών χωρίς δρόμους (ΑΦΠ) της Ελλάδας (https://bc.lab.uoi.gr/el/research/proj...

Preserving ecosystems of high ecological integrity is a crucial target in Biodiversity Strategies, also serving the 10 % target of strict land protection in the European Union (EU). We recommend roadless mapping to delineate wilderness and monitor progress against loss in natural areas. We mapped Greece's roadless land and assessed its ecological a...

The little owl ( Athene noctua ) is a common raptor in Mediterranean habitats. To acquire more information on its diet, this study identified cranial and post-cranial skeletal material from 70 owl pellets collected during the 2016 and 2017 breeding seasons. The material was used to quantify the little owl’s relative prey abundance using MNI (minimu...

Chorthippus lacustris is an endemic Orthoptera species of Epirus, NW Greece, with a critically endangered conservation status globally. It strongly depends on wet grasslands, flooded on a seasonal basis. The species has already been extinct in two localities in the past and its population is severely fragmented (8 subpopulations). Only one subpopul...

Road sprawl is a key catalyst of land-use change, the greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide, and its negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function are well documented. Although Europe is the most fragmented continent of the world, the reduction of fragmentation from roads and artificial land does not appear in the key commitments of t...

The current technical report presents the results of a research project in two Natura 2000 sites, namely the National Park of Oeta Mountain (GR2440004) and Tymphristos mountain (GR2430001). OITI project concerned the Orthoptera community of the two mountains and specifically their endemic and/or threatened species. It presents the objectives of the...

The project includes: - Field surveys for butterfly and grasshopper monitoring, - Special focus on rare, threatened and/or endemic species, - Assessment of the effects of grazing on species habitats, - Conservation efforts. The project is being conducted in collaboration with the Management Unit of Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park and Northern Pel...

LIFE-IP 4 NATURA Project: Integrated actions for the conservation and management of Natura 2000 sites, species, habitats and ecosystems in Greece (LIFE16 IPE/GR/000002). Deliverable Action Α.1. Ministry of Environment and Energy. Athens, 53 pp. & IV Annexes. Final version. https://edozoume.gr/ethniko-schedio-drasis-gia-to-eidos-lepidopteroy-parna...

The dataset presents the roadless areas (RAs) of Greece (2/2020) in kmz format (Google Earth). RAs are defined as those land patches of a size greater than 1 sq.km that are at least 1 km away from the nearest road. The dataset pinpoints the 1.115 RAs, accounting for 4.99% of the Greek land. The map includes high and medium confidence data. Red poly...

Οι Περιοχές Άνευ Δρόμων (ΠΑΔ) είναι εκείνες οι χερσαίες περιοχές οι οποίες έχουν έκταση άνω του 1km2 και απέχουν πάνω από 1 km από τον πλησιέστερο δρόμο. H πολιτική σύνοψη διαρθώνεται στα εξής υποκεφάλαια: 1. Τι είναι οι περιοχές άνευ δρόμων - ΠΑΔ; 2. Ποια η σχέση των δρόμων με την απώλεια της βιοποικιλότητας; 3. Γιατί οι ΠΑΔ αποτελούν μείζον πολ...

Land use change poses as the top threat for biodiversity decline, and road sprawl as a key driver behind it globally. According to the recent Landscape Fragmentation Indicator (LFI), Greece is less fragmented than the rest of Europe but presents higher rates of fragmentation increase. We developed the Roadless Fragmentation Indicator (RFI) to monit...

This paper reports on the educational program "Something's flying around us" that took place in the Zoological Museum of the University of Patras, based on constructivism, under the citizen science project "Ornithopolis". The aim of the program was to support primary school pupils in identification of bird species and to enhance their awareness abo...

Red Lists are very valuable tools in nature conservation at global, continental and (sub-) national scales. In an attempt to prioritise conservation actions for European butterflies, we compiled a database with species lists and Red Lists of all European countries, including the Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands). In tot...

Urbanization induces rapid landscape and habitat modifications leading to alterations in species distribution patterns and biodiversity loss. As pollinating insects such as butterflies are particularly susceptible to urbanization, it is important to pinpoint the factors that could enhance their diversity in the urban areas in order to design adequa...

To "Σχέδιο Περιεχομένων και Προδιαγραφών Σχεδίων Δράσης Ειδών και Οικοτόπων Κοινοτικού Ενδιαφέροντος" περιλαμβάνει τα περιεχόμενα και τις προδιαγραφές των Σχεδίων Δράσης Ειδών και Οικοτόπων Κοινοτικού Ενδιαφέροντος για τα σχέδια δράσης ειδών και οικοτόπων στην Ελλάδα. Διαμορφώθηκε από ομάδα εργασίας. Συντονιστής της ομάδας ήταν το Δημοκρίτειο Πανε...

Many hirundine species construct their nests by carrying mud particles from adjacent areas. This study aimed to investigate for the first time the materials that mud-nesting hirundines choose for nest construction from a mineralogical and sedimentological perspective. For this purpose, we sampled nests of three sympatric species, namely the Barn Sw...

Urbanization causes rapid changes in the landscape and land use, exerting a significant pressure on bird communities. The effect of urbanization on bird diversity has been widely investigated in many cities worldwide; however, our knowledge on urban bird communities from the eastern Mediterranean region is very scarce. In this context, we aimed to...

In the present study we collected data on the breeding and wintering status of common buzzards that used olive groves in the Mesara basin (112 km2) in south Crete. An effort was also made to investigate the flying and hunting behavior of wintering individuals. The number of the species territories mapped during spring 2003-2006 ranged from 18-23 pr...