Vassiliki I Kati

University of Ioannina | UOI · Department of Biological Applications and Technologies

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...

Natal dispersal is a crucial period for raptors with serious implications for individuals’ survival and population demography. In this study we analyzed data from 18 GPS-tracked golden eagles in order to describe their dispersal ecology in northern Greece, where the species feeds mostly on tortoises. Young eagles in our population dispersed at 176...

In response to the ongoing global extinction, conservationists must prioritize future conservation investments to ensure that such measures are biologically effective and economically viable. To propose an effective conservation plan for Orthoptera assemblages on Cyprus Island, we introduce the Standardized Conservation Index (StCI), a biodiversity...

The biodiversity impacts of agricultural deforestation vary widely across regions. Previous efforts to explain this variation have focused exclusively on the landscape features and management regimes of agricultural systems, neglecting the potentially critical role of ecological filtering in shaping deforestation tolerance of extant species assembl...

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...

The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is a subspecies of the Northern chamois (R. rupicapra) with an Inadequate-Bad (U2) conservation status, despite being protected at a national level in Greece. In 2022, we conducted four seasonal surveys on Mt. Olympus covering 70 kilometers per season. In total, we detected chamois 569 times (48%)...

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...

Greek abstract of PhD thesis entitled: "Wolf ecology and predation behavior: a conflict minimization strategy towards sustainable livestock breeding" (in english). Η παρούσα διατριβή εξετάζει τη σύγκρουση μεταξύ λύκου και ανθρώπου, η οποία προκύπτει κυρίως από τη θήρευση κτηνοτροφικών ζώων, αποτελώντας σημαντική απειλή τόσο για τη διατήρηση των λύκ...

Invertebrate populations are amongst the most widespread species, inhabiting a variety of habitats, however there is limited conservation effort due to the scarce knowledge on their population genetics. Here, we assess levels of genetic diversity and population structure of the Epirus dancing grasshopper (Chorthippus lacustris), a steno-endemic spe...

Open Access for 50 days: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1h2iJ1R%7EeSm9%7E Abstract Livestock depredation is the primary driver of wolf-human conflict worldwide, threatening wolf conservation and impacting human livelihoods. Most countries implement relevant compensation programs, which are however rarely accompanied by proactive husbandry practice...

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...

Motivation Aquatic insects comprise 64% of freshwater animal diversity and are widely used as bioindicators to assess water quality impairment and freshwater ecosystem health, as well as to test ecological hypotheses. Despite their importance, a comprehensive, global database of aquatic insect occurrences for mapping freshwater biodiversity in macr...

In an era of increasing human pressure on nature, understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of wildlife relative to human disturbance can inform conservation efforts, especially for large carnivores. We examined the temporal activity and spatial patterns of wolves and eight sympatric mammals at 71 camera trap stations in Greece. Grey wolves tempora...

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...

A first report on the occurrence of Prionotropis willemsorum, an orthopteran Pam-phagidae endemic to Greece is drawn up. The threats that particularly impact the habitats where this species lives are also assessed. They are mainly linked to alterations in grazing practices, whether it is the abandonment or the change from herds of sheep and goats t...

Η επιστημονική έκθεση παρουσιάζει τον εθνικό χάρτη των περιοχών χωρίς δρόμους της Ελλάδας. Πρόκειται για 389 πολύγωνα που ονομάζονται Αδιατάρακτες Φυσικές Περιοχές (ΑΦΠ), έχουν έκταση άνω των 2 τ.χλμ έκαστο και δεν διατρέχονται από δρόμους.Επιπλέον ο χάρτης περιλαμβάνει 3518 νησιά άνευ δρόμων, ή Νησιωτικές Αδιατάρακτες Φυσικές Περιοχές (ΝΑΦΠ) ανεξα...

An overview of the current European nature conservation policy is presented and the tools available to conserve those invertebrates not protected under the EU environmental legislation. Biodiversity is declining in the EU at alarming rates. Natura 2000 network of protected areas is the cornerstone of the EU policy for nature conservation, but EU le...

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...

On 18 January 2022, the Greek government banned road construction in six Natura 2000 roadless mountainous areas, triggering a broader national roadless policy. Road sprawl is a key catalyst of land use change, which is the greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide. For years, scientists have called for halting infrastructure expansion, including ro...

Golden Eagles are resident in Greece and known to feed mainly on tortoises when breeding. However, information on alternative prey is scarce, especially during the tortoise brumation, that roughly coincides with the eagles’ non-breeding season. We analyzed 827 prey items collected from 12 territories over five territory years and 84 records of eagl...

Abstract: Humanity depends directly on biodiversity and its services but we currently face both biodiversity and a climate crisis. The lecture will focus on two topical issues: (a) Road sprawl is a key driver behind biodiversity loss. We suggest a new national and European roadless policy towards the non-net-land take milestone. We present the road...

Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is a protected species with an Inadequate-Bad (U2) conservation status in Greece and its hunting is prohibited since 1969. We investigated the seasonal range use pattern, demography and habitat selection of the species in Timfi Mountain (Natura 2000 site). We used 1168 observations obtained from six se...

Sacred groves in Greece are usually forest remnants with large trees around chapels, protected through centuries by Orthodox religion. We examined the comparative ecological value of 20 oak-dominated sacred groves vs managed oakwoods, in terms of their habitat characteristics and avian communities (passerines and wood-peckers). Sacred groves have m...

Electronic brochure (pdf) and poster (jpeg) summarizing how the climate targets for clean energy in Greece can be achieved from the operation of wind farms, without substantial damage to biodiversity, in the context of European environmental policy and the Sustainable Development Goals. What is the European Green Deal? What is the Greek energy and...

Ηλεκτρονικό φυλλάδιο (pdf) και poster (jpeg) που συνοψίζoυν το πώς να μπορούν να επιτευχθούν οι κλιματικοί στόχοι για καθαρή ενέργεια στην Ελλάδα από τη λειτουργία αιολικών πάρκων, χωρίς ουσιαστική βλάβη στη βιοποικιλότητα, στο πλαίσιο της Ευρωπαϊκής περιβαλλοντικής πολιτικής και των Στόχων Βιώσιμης Ανάπτυξης. Τι είναι η Ευρωπαϊκή πράσινη συμφωνία;...

Global environmental goals mandate the expansion of the protected area network to halt biodiversity loss. The European Union’s Natura 2000 network covers 27.3% of the terrestrial area of Greece, one of the highest percentages in Europe. However, the extent to which this network protects Europe’s biodiversity, especially in a biodiverse country like...

To τρίπτυχο βιοποικιλότητα-δρόμοι-αιολικά στο πλαίσιο των Στόχων Βιώσιμης Ανάπτυξης: η Ελληνική περίπτωση. Διάλεξη με επίκεντρο τέσσερις θεματικές ενότητες: Α. Βιοποικιλότητα & κλιματική αλλαγή: οι προκλήσεις του 21ου αιώνα. Β. Δρόμοι: η "επιτομή" της ανθρωπογενούς παρέμβασης στη φύση. Γ. Αιολικά πάρκα: επιτακτική ανάγκη για κατάλληλη χωροθέτηση. Δ...

Εθνικό Πάρκο Βόρειας Πίνδου. Όλη η φυσική, γεωλογική και πολιτισμική κληρονομιά των δύο Εθνικών Δρυμών Βίκου-Αώου και Πίνδου (Βάλια Κάλντα). Οι μεγάλες κορυφές, τα μοναδικά οικοσυστήματα, η άγρια πανίδα και σπάνια χλωρίδα των Δρυμών, οι άνθρωποι σε μια κοινή πορεία με τη φύση από τα βάθη των αιώνων, η ιστορία και ο τοπικός πολιτισμός, τα χωριά του...

The webinar was organized by the Policy Committee of the European Section of the Society for Conservation Biology in 26/1/2021. Two recent papers published for Greece were used to illustrate the webinar topics (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108828 and https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144471). The goal of the webinar was : (A) to pr...

Nocturnal mating behaviour of chamois

Η παρούσα πολιτική σύνοψη (policy brief) παρουσιάζει ένα βιώσιμο σενάριο χωροθέτησης των Αιολικών Σταθμών Παραγωγής Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας (ΑΣΠΗΕ), για την επίτευξη του εθνικού ενεργειακού στόχου αξιοποίησης της αιολικής ενέργειας με το ελάχιστο περιβαλλοντικό και κοινωνικό κόστος. Το βιώσιμο σενάριο: i. Ορίζει χερσαία επενδυτική ζώνη για την εγκατά...

Wind energy is the leading renewable technology towards achieving climate goals, yet biodiversity trade-offs via land take are emerging. Thus, we are facing the paradox of impacting on biodiversity to combat climate change. We suggest a novel method of spatial planning that enhances windfarm sustainability: investments are prioritized in the most f...

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...

Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is a protected species with an Inadequate-Bad (U2) conservation status in Greece. Our study explores its seasonal range use pattern, demography and habitat selection in a site of the Natura 2000 network, Timfi Mountain. To this aim, we examined 1168 observations obtained from six seasonal surveys (2002...

Abstract Inferring species' responses to climate change in the absence of long‐term time series data is a challenge, but can be achieved by substituting space for time. For example, thermal elevational gradients represent suitable proxies to study phenological responses to warming. We used butterfly data from two Mediterranean mountain areas to tes...

Understanding the feeding habits of wolves is essential for designing and implementing fundamental management processes across the range of the species. This is even more important within human-dominated areas, such as southern Europe, and more especially Greece. In this context, we analyzed 123 scat samples, collected between 2010 and 2012, from a...

The Vjosa/Aoos river still flows freely from the Pindus mountains in Greece, to the river mouth in Albania largely without artificial obstacles. The river stretches for 270km in total and 70km are flowing within the Greek area. Downstream of the Pigai dam in Greece (10km from the springs of Aoos), the river is near natural, representing all types o...

Information on the status and distribution of species within a geographical region is vital for designing effective conservation plans. We assessed the distribution and relative abundance of four large mammalian species in the Aoos river basin and its main tributaries with a focus on the unprotected parts of the area, by using remotely triggered ca...

Α. ΠΕΡΙΓΡΑΦΗ ΧΑΡΤΗ Είναι ένας χάρτης εννέα ζωνών προσβάσιμος μέσω του ελεύθερου προγράμματος Google Earth, ως οδηγός για παροχή θετικής γνωμοδότησης αποκλειστικά για τις δύο εξωτερικές ζώνες του. Ο φάκελος «wind farms allowed» του χάρτη ορίζει με πράσινη γραμμή τις ζώνες θετικής γνωμοδότησης, ήτοι την περιφερειακή ζώνη και τη ζώνη 1 της μη βασικής...

The database presents the occurrence of 145 Orthoptera species threatened according to IUCN criteria (global and European assessment: CR, EN, VU, NT) and/or Greek endemics in Natura 2000 sites of Greece (186 sites). Data are derived from the book of Willemse, L.P.M., Kleukers, R.M.J.C, Ode, B. (2018): The Grasshoppers of Greece. EIS Kenniscentrum I...

Demonstration of the loss of biodiversity where non native breeds of cattle have been introduced on Mediterranean mountains of Greece.

Presentation done the Friday 28 June 2019

In this study we investigate the environmental factors influencing butterfly communities and evaluate the Natura 2000 network’s effectiveness in representing butterfly species richness and abundance, taking as a case study the island of Cyprus. We sampled butterflies and 11 environmental factors in 60 randomly selected sites across four 500-m eleva...

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...

Livestock depredation is one of the main wolf-human conflict issues both in Europe and worldwide. The aim of the project is to study and evaluate wolf-livestock conflicts in Tzoumerka NP and to compare our findings with other protected areas in Greece. We have in particular set the following six research objectives: 1. To assess and describe tradit...

Abstract Poster: Relationship between Orthoptera richness and pastoralism in Mediterranean mountains of southern Balkans. The threatened genus Peripodisma used as a key indicator to point out the negative impact of introduction of non-indigenous breeds of cattle. Michèle Lemonnier-Darcemont (1), Vassiliki Kati (2), Luc Willemse (3), Christian Darce...

The Management Body of the Rodopi Mountain-Range National Park in collaboration with expert scientists, implemented in 2014-2015, the monitoring of the Balkan Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) in the RMNP. During the period 2016-2018, the BC continued to be monitored, with emphasis in the Frakto Forest area, with the collaboration of the Mana...

This open pdf is a translation in Greek of the English key on Orthoptera identification

This study examined the effects of pastoralism, including cattle grazing, on populations of three species of locally endemic and rare Peripodisma grasshoppers in calcareous grassland mountain habitats of northwestern Greece and southern Albania. The three Peripodisma species are on the IUCN Red List as near threatened, endangered, and critically en...

Απώτερος σκοπός της παρούσας έκθεσης είναι η αξιολόγηση της προόδου της περιβαλλοντικής πολιτικής της χώρας μας στον θεματικό άξονα της φύσης και της βιοποικιλότητας, με βάση τις πολιτικές και θεσμικές δεσμεύσεις της Ελλάδας για την ανάσχεση της απώλειας της βιοποικιλότητας και την προώθηση της βιώσιμης ανάπτυξης σε εθνική, Ευρωπαϊκή και παγκόσμια...

We present here the summary of the full technical report (in Greek) concerning the state of nature and biodiversity in Greece in terms of 12 indicators. The state of nature and biodiversity generally appears to be sufficient compared to the rest of Europe, as the indicators used in this report have shown. The country has made notable progress in bi...

Question What are the woody vegetation encroachment patterns after agricultural land abandonment? Focusing on two parameters, woody plant species richness and vertical vegetation heterogeneity (number of different vegetation strata and their relative cover), we investigated: i) the effect of forest encroachment following land abandonment, ii) the c...

Muggia, L., Kati, V., Rohrer, A., Halley, J. & Mayrhofer, H. 2018. Species diversity of lichens in the sacred groves of Epirus (Greece). – Herzogia 31: 231–244. The sacred groves in the mountains of Epirus in NW Greece have been established during the Ottoman period and consist of locally adapted systems set apart from the surrounding intensively m...

Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds - edited by Grzegorz Mikusiński March 2018

The Epirus dancing grasshopper (Chorthippus lacustris) is a unique endemic insect of NW Greece, Critically Endangered, forming only five populations in the world. It has experienced a great habitat loss (>80%) the last 70 years. It lives in periodically flooded grasslands and needs high soil humidity. It loves tall and dense herbs and feeds on them...

Cambridge Core - Natural Resource Management, Agriculture, Horticulture and forestry - Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds - edited by Grzegorz Mikusiński

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...