Greek Island Of Lesvos Research Articles

Syrphidae (Diptera) from the Greek island of Lesvos, with description of two new species

Syrphidae (Diptera) from the Greek island of Lesvos, with description of two new species

Reduced fecundity in large populations of a Mediterranean orchid – Evidence for pollinator limitation

Increased anthropogenic influence is expected to reduce the size of natural populations, which may decrease individual fecundity and long-term survival. However, it is unclear whether populations of a species that occur in a variety of habitats will suffer decreased fecundity similarly. Certain habitats, such as those in agricultural landscapes that used to undergo traditional management, may be altered more than others and therefore individuals within such populations may be more prone to decreased fecundity. This is particularly important to quantify in Mediterranean landscapes, where habitat change is a major threat to biodiversity. We examined the fecundity of 88 populations of the orchid Spiranthes spiralis, across multiple habitats on the Greek island of Lesvos. In each population we recorded both the habitat and geological substrate. At the end of the flowering season, population size was quantified in each population by counting the number of fruiting plants and the percentage fruit set was determined. To test whether seed set was reduced due to pollination limitation we performed a pollen supplementation experiment. Large populations had significantly lower fruit set than small populations, and this effect was most pronounced in olive groves. Pollen supplementation showed that S. spiralis may suffer reduced seed set due to pollen limitation. The results of this study show that larger olive grove populations may be pollinator-limited and there may be two reasons for this: first, olive groves are less favourable sites for honeybees – the major and more efficient pollinators of S. spiralis on Lesvos; second, such populations have been suffering severe management changes in recent years (e.g. chemical treatments, chopping) and are most vulnerable to reductions in reproductive output.

Syrphidae (Diptera) from the Greek island of Lesvos, with description of two new species

The results of the hoverfly (Syrphidae) collection by the ‘Malloch Society’ on the Greek island of Lesvos are presented.Fieldwork took place from February to March 2006 and from May to June 2010. An account of 66 species from 28 generais provided including two species new to science, five species new to Greece and data for several rarely recorded species.We describe Eumerus armatus Ricarte and Rotheray sp. nov., a medium size species with red abdomen. We also describeSphiximorpha hiemalis Ricarte, Nedeljković and Hancock sp. nov., a hairy species with distinctive colour and pollinositypatterns and abdomen shape. The female of Eumerus claripennis Coe, 1957 is described and the male genitalia are figured.The majority of species encountered belonged to the typically Mediterranean genera Eumerus (8 spp.), Merodon (16 spp.)and Paragus (6 spp.). Approximately 71% of the recorded species also occur in Turkey. This supports the idea that West Mediterranean and Anatolian faunas overlap in Lesvos.

Information and Communication Technologies and Development of Learners’ Critical Thinking: Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes

The Information and Communication Technologies exercise a great impact on the ways people work, communicate and interact, and contribute considerably to the development of learners’ skills. However, the use of Information and Communication Technologies cannot lead to the development of high-order skills and of critical thinking, if not combined with the appropriate teaching methods.In the light of the above, the aim of the present research is to identify and record Primary School teachers’ beliefs about the impact of Information and Communication Technologies on the enhancement of critical thinking. An analysis of the skills taught within the Greek educational context and considered to be necessary for the development of critical thinking, is also provided. The data elicitation tool is a questionnaire devised for the needs of the specific research and the sample is comprised by 118 Primary School teachers working on the Greek island of Lesvos.

Plant-pollinator biodiversity and pollination services in a complex Mediterranean landscape

Mediterranean landscapes comprise a complex mosaic of different habitats that vary in the diversity of their floral communities, pollinator communities and pollination services. Using the Greek Island of Lesvos as a model system, we assess the biodiversity value of six common habitats and measure ecosystemic ‘health’ using pollen grain deposition in three core flowering plants as a measure of pollination services. Three fire-driven habitats were assessed: freshly burnt areas, fully regenerated pine forests and intermediate age scrub; in addition we examined oak woodlands, actively managed olive groves and groves that had been abandoned from agriculture. Oak woodlands, pine forests and managed olive groves had the highest diversity of bees. The habitat characteristics responsible for structuring bee communities were: floral diversity, floral abundance, nectar energy availability and the variety of nectar resources present. Pollination services in two of our plant species, which were pollinated by a limited sub-set of the pollinator community, indicated that pollination levels were highest in the burnt and mature pine habitats. The third species, which was open to all flower visitors, indicated that oak woodlands had the highest levels of pollination from generalist species. Pollination was always more effective in managed olive groves than in abandoned groves. However, the two most common species of bee, the honeybee and a bumblebee, were not the primary pollinators within these habitats. We conclude that the three habitats of greatest overall value for plant-pollinator communities and provision of the healthiest pollination services are pine forests, oak woodland and managed olive groves. We indicate how the highest value habitats may be maintained in a complex landscape to safeguard and enhance pollination function within these habitats and potentially in adjoining agricultural areas.

Simulating the fate of an oil spill near coastal zones: the case of a spill (from a power plant) at the Greek Island of Lesvos

This paper presents a deterministic mathematical model, which simulates the time-dependent behavior of an oil spill near coastal zones. The model solves the full set of partial-differential equations that govern transient, two-phase, turbulent flow and heat/mass transfer phenomena. It is used for predicting the consequences of hypothetical oil spills that could occur near a coastal area of great natural beauty and tourist attraction, at the island of Lesvos in Greece. The model generates a 3-D hydrodynamic field, under the influence of atmospheric and/or other external forcing, which in turn drives the spill at sea. It has also incorporated a few weathering mechanisms that determine the fate of the spill, as: spill spreading, dissolution, hydrodynamic dispersion and turbulent diffusion. It is noted, however, that the model has a general structure that can accommodate most of the remaining weathering processes (enumerated below) deemed necessary.