As part of its ongoing Forests for Life campaign, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently compiled a list of the 200 most valuable forests of the Mediterranean region. Among them, singled out for their rarity and ecological importance, are 32 sites scattered over the Greek mainland and islands.

Despite its small size, Greece boasts an unusual range of ecosystems, from palm stands on the southern island of Crete, to fir forests gracing its northern peaks. The country's location at the crossroads of three continents, and its role as refuge during the ice ages, have contributed to the formation of such environmental monuments.

Approximately 49% of Greece is forest or woodland, although only 2.5% of these lands are under protective status. Like the rest of the Mediterranean region, Greek forests are perennially plagued by forest fires, which have ravaged 5,000,000 km2 in the last decade.

Last year, WWF Greece also launched the Forests for Life, aiming to reduce forest fires by informing the public and investigating the true causes of the their rising yearly toll. Moreover, the Forests for Life campaign aims to educate the public on proper reforestation techniques through reforestation initiatives, such as the planting of 3,000 trees in the Agios Petros area of Pendeli Mountain.

The sites on the WWF forest list were selected on the basis of their biological and social importance, the decision often hinging on the presence of rare species, such as the Euboian oak, (Quercus euboica) endemic to the Saronic island of Euboia. The species was discovered accidentally in 1949 when a forestry student collecting plants showed a specimen to his professor. Unbelieving, the professor personally visited the site, and distinguished himself by describing the new species for the first time.

Unlike most of the areas on the WWF list, the forest of Papades, where the Euboian oak is found, is not included in the Natura 2000 network, a collection of areas singled out for environmental protection by the European Union.

Also not part of the Natura 2000 network is the Schinias site, in Attica. Chosen for its pine kernel forest, one of only three in Greece, and its wetlands, Schinias has recently become an object of controversy due to plans to build rowing facilities on its shores for the 2004 Olympics.

A third of the areas singled out in the WWF study is the Peloponnesean mountain of Parnonas, home to rich forests of black pine, cedar, fir and chestnut, relieved by maquis, grasslands, cultivated expanses and picturesque villages. One hundred endemic Greek plant species grow here, six of which are unique to the area. In addition to its floral wealth, the area also supports a healthy faunal community, including rare bird species, as well as jackals, foxes, weasels, hares, mice, and other mammals.