Lesvos Biodiversity Observatory

Main Ecosystem

Lesvos Biodiversity Observatory (LES) encompasses the entire island of Lesvos which constitutes a superb place to carry out biodiversity and ecology studies. Being a geological mosaic assembling from sedimentary to metamorphic and volcanic rocks and soils, the island is big enough to be characterized by three climatic profiles (semi-arid in the west, arid–sub-humid in the east, and a transitional one in-between). Considering its moderate size, 1634 Km², Lesvos is rich in habitat types extending from thermo-Mediterranean, meso-Mediterranean, through to supra-Mediterranean, even up to montane-Mediterranean zone. It encompasses interesting man-made systems, such as agro-ecosystems (olive groves, cultivated & abandoned fields, and a worth-mentioning chestnut forest), terraced landscapes, graze lands, saltworks, not to forget its numerous wetlands.

Lesvos is not only important for its present biodiversity, but also for its ancient one consisting of several species of trees that have been covered with volcanic material following a massive eruption 20 mya; on the basis of the excavated ancient diversity –in petrified form today, the island was designated as “Lesvos island Global Geopark” in 2012 and as “Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark” in 2015. What has been also shown to be important is the human intervention that has sculptured the island through millennia, whereas the agricultural practices employed for centuries constitute what we consider today as “nature-friendly” practices. A series of EU-funded research projects have been carried out demonstrating the outstanding importance of the island regarding its physical and natural potential.

Site Details
Short name: LES
ILTER ID: LTER_EU_GR_005
Year est.: 2004
Location: Lesvos, Greece
Elevation (m.a.s.l.): 0 to 968, 215 (AVG)
Area (sqkm): 1634

Contact Info
prof. Theodora Petanidou,
prof Panayiotis Dimitrakopoulos ^*,
asst prof Triantaphyllos Akriotis ^*

^*Dept. of the Environment, Un. of the Aegean
tpet@aegean.gr
Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece
bioecolab-aegean.blogspot.com
+302251036406

Success Stories

An Island of Biodiversity A Hotspot for birds Bee Diversity An Island for Orchids The Biodiversity Assets The Melissotheque of the Aegean

An Island of Biodiversity

Photo: P. Dimitrakopoulos

Photo: P. Tsakmakis

Photo: E. Galinou

Lesvos is considered as the place of birth of the discipline of Biology, since the times of Aristotle (4^th c. BC) who, together with his disciple, the Eressian Theophrastus, carried out his observations in the Bay of Kalloni, “Aristotle’s lagoon”.

Among all the islands of the Aegean, Lesvos is endowed with two important characteristics regarding biodiversity: first, owing to its large size Lesvos has the capacity to host a high number of biota; second, due to its vicinity to the Asian continent, its diversity is much influenced from the east, constituting the island a melting pot where Anatolian species meet with the Mediterranean ones. Famous examples of species having their westernmost or southernmost distribution are, among other, the Kruper’s Nuthatch (Sitta krueperi), the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus), and the Yellow Azalea (Rhododendron luteum).

Drawing based on the origin of hoverflies occurring in the Aegean Archipelago, depicting the “two Aegeans”, the eastern one encompassing Levant and Anatolian species.

The most biodiversity-relevant habitats of Lesvos: chestnut forest, phrygana/maquis, olive groves/cultivated fields.

Photo: T. Petanidou

Photo: R. Kariyat

Photo: T. Petanidou

A typical dehesa habitat in W. Lesvos: open phrygana with scattered oak trees and occasional olive groves.

A Hotspot for birds

Tadorna ferruginea

Lesvos has a rich and interesting avifauna, with more than 330 species of birds recorded so far. A significant proportion of these species have SW Asiatic affinities and, thus, occur on Lesvos and neighbouring parts of SE Europe but are missing from the rest of Europe. These include the Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus), Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabelline) and Cretzschmar’s and Black-headed Buntings (Emberiza caesia and E. melanocephala). One species, the Kruper’s Nuthatch (Sitta krueperi), has a small global distribution limited to Turkey and parts of the Caucasus and is also found on Lesvos but no other part of European territory, and one further species, the Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea) is also globally limited to parts SW Asia and the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios and Skyros.

Emberiza cineracea

Plegadis falcinellus & Egretta garzetta

Like other Mediterranean islands, Lesvos is also visited by large numbers and a variety of migratory birds on passage between Europe and Africa in spring and autumn, as well as birds from northern parts of western Eurasia wintering in frost-free Mediterranean areas. Lesvos has a larger number, more extensive area and a higher diversity of wetlands, both freshwater and saline, compared with other Aegean islands and, as a result, it hosts a rich variety of wetland birds.

Thanks to the richness and high diversity of bird species, Lesvos has been one of the most popular birdwatching destinations in Europe since the 1990’s. Birdwatching tourism has been a significant source of income for the local tourist industry, especially because it takes place mainly in the early and middle part of the spring, before the main wave of summer tourists, thus extending the tourist season.

Recurvirostra avosetta, Photo: P. Tsakmakis

Lesvos, the hottest place in Europe for bee diversity

With more than 1200 species of bees, Greece is the richest country in Europe regarding wild bee diversity. More than half of the above diversity is hosted in Lesvos, which makes the island being the richest of all islands in the Aegean, even richer than Crete which is five times larger. In fact, Lesvos’ bee diversity is comparable, if not greater, with that hosted in all the extent of large countries in central and northern Europe! Differential driving forces for such a huge diversity are the high diversity of entomophilous plants (>1600 species), the variety of climate and habitat types encompassing a wide array of systems ranging from drylands to wetlands, and the traditional bee-friendly management that in parts is ongoing (e.g. grazing, olive groove ploughing). A comparative study on bee diversity carried out in six European countries of different biogeographical location and employing the same protocols concluded that Lesvos is the hottest spot in Europe regarding wild bee diversity (Westphal et al. 2008; Nielsen et al. 2011).

Besides bees, the last two decades the island has been spotted by syrphidologists who recognized Lesvos also as a hotspot for hoverflies, a group of insects that is second to bees in importance as pollinators. The many publications describing new species originating from the island lead to selecting Lesvos as the place where the 10th International Symposium on Syrphidae took place in 2019. According to the Atlas of the hoverflies of Greece, a book whose generation has been largely stimulated by Lesvos diversity, the island encompasses almost one third of the hoverfly diversity of Greece (i.e. 131 species of 418), half of them of Anatolian and Levant origin.

Numbers of bee species and genera occurring in Lesvos vs. comparable habitats in different European countries; the survey was conducted in comparable size of land and using the same protocols.

Westphal C., Bommarco R., Carré G., Lamborn E., Petanidou T., Potts S.G, Roberts S.P.M., Szentgyörgyi H., Tscheulin T., Vaissière B.E., Woyciechowski M., Biesmeijer J.C., Kunin W.E., Settele J., Steffan-Dewenter I. (2008). Measuring pollinator biodiversity in different habitats and biogeographic regions. Ecological Monographs 78(4): 653–671. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/07-1292.1.

Nielsen A., Steffan-Dewenter I., Westphal C., Messinger O., Potts S.G., Roberts S., Settele J., Szentgyorgyi H., Vaissiere B.E., Vaitis M., Woyciechowski M., Bazos I., Biesmeijer J.C., Bommarco R., Kunin W.E., Tscheulin Τ., Lamborn E., Petanidou T. (2011). Assessing bee species richness in two Mediterranean communities: importance of habitat type and sampling techniques. Ecological Research 26(5): 969–983. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11284-011-0852-1.

An Island for Orchids

Photo: P. Dimitrakopoulos

Photo: P. Dimitrakopoulos

Lesvos is a hotspot for orchids. About 100 species, subspecies and varieties have been recorded. High frequency of species occurrence is observed in the southeastern part of the island where limestones prevail (Olympus Mountain Range, wider Plomari area, Υera Bay, and Amalis Peninsula). Οlive groves, phryganic ecosystems, chestnut and pine forests support a high number of species originating from East Mediterranean (e.g. Platanthera holmboei, Ophrys argolica subsp. lesbis), the Balkans (e.g. Ophrys helenae), Asia (e.g. Himantoglossum comperianum), not to forget Eurasian species (e.g. Cephalanthera rubra). Species with extensive populations may also occur (e.g. Orchis italica) as also do rare species for Lesvos (e.g. Orchis anthropophora).

The Biodiversity Assets: Terraced Olive Groves, Traditional Cultivation Methods

Photo: A. Dalaka

Photo: A. Dalaka

The Melissotheque of the Aegean

Considering all the above, it is not surprising that Lesvos has become a visit place for entomologists, especially for pollinator and pollination researchers, both amateurs and professionals including groups of students from Europe and overseas. Many of them are regular comers associated with the University of the Aegean which provides research facilities and expertise.

A facility of utmost importance is the Melissotheque of the Aegean, a collection of pollination insects from the Aegean, which is established at the Laboratory of Biogeography & Ecology, University Campus of Mytilene. Having started since 2004, the collection includes today >200,000 insects, plus >50,000 observations, identified to >1500 species. All insects and observations are fully databased, the inserted information being of taxonomic, geographical, and ecological interest. The database is connected to discover life, an interactive world facility for taxonomy, natural history, distribution, abundance & ecology of species (https://www.discoverlife.org/).

Publications

Stefanatou E., Dimitrakopoulos P.G., Aloupi M., Adamidis G.C., Nakas G., Petanidou T. (2020). From bioaccumulation to biodecumulation: nickel movement from Odontarrhena lesbiaca (Brassicaceae) individuals into consumers. Science of the Total environment 747: 141197. https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0048-9697(20)34726-4.
González V.H., Osborn A.L., Brown E.R., Pavlick C.R., Enríquez E., Tscheulin T., Petanidou T., Hranitz J.M., Barthell J.F. (2020). Effect of pan trap size on the diversity of sampled bees and abundance of bycatch. Journal of Insect Conservation 24: 409–420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-020-00224-4.
González V.H., Hranitz J.M., Percival C.R., Pulley K.L., Tapsak S.T., Tscheulin T., Petanidou T., Barthell J.F. (2020). Thermal tolerance varies with dim-light foraging and elevation in large carpenter bees Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini). Ecological Entomology 45: 688–696. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12842.
Kantsa A., Raguso R.A., Lekkas T., Kalantzi O.-I., Petanidou T. (2019). Floral volatiles and visitors: a meta-network of associations in a natural community. Journal of Ecology 107: 2574–2586. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13197.
Duffy K.J., Waud M., Schatz B., Petanidou T., Jacquemyn H. (2019). Latitudinal variation in mycorrhizal diversity associated with a European orchid. Journal of Biogeography 46: 968–980. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13548.
Kantsa A., Raguso R.A., Dyer A.G., Olesen J.M., Tscheulin T., Petanidou T. (2018). Disentangling the role of floral sensory diversity in pollination networks. Nature Communications 9: 1041 – open access. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03448-w.
Kantsa A., Raguso R.A., Dyer A.G., Sgardelis S.P., Olesen J.M., Petanidou T. (2017). Community-wide integration of floral colour and scent in a Mediterranean scrubland. Nature – Ecology & Evolution 1:1502–1510 – open access. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0298-0.
Lázaro A., Chroni A., Tscheulin T., Devalez J., Matsoukas Ch., Petanidou T. (2016). Electromagnetic radiation of mobile telecommunication antennas affects the abundance and composition of wild pollinators. Journal of Insect Conservation 20: 315–324. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10841-016-9868-8.
Ståhls G., Vujić A., Petanidou T. Cardoso, P., Radenković S., Ačanski, J., Pérez-Bañón C., Rojo S. (2016). Phylogeographic patterns of Merodon hover flies in the Eastern Mediterranean region: revealing connections and barriers. Ecology and Evolution 6(7): 2226–2245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2021.
Vujić A., Petanidou T., Tscheulin T., Ståhls G., Radenković S., Baturan Ž., Mijatović G., Rojo S., Pérez-Bañón C., Devalez J., Andrić A., Jovičić S., Krašić D., Markov Z., Radišić D., Tataris Y. (2016). Biogeographical patterns of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae) in islands of the Eastern Mediterranean and adjacent mainlands. Insect Conservation & Diversity 9: 181–191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/icad.12156.
Lázaro A., Tscheulin T., Devalez J., Nakas G. Petanidou T. (2016). Effects of grazing intensity on flower cover, pollinator abundance and diversity, and pollination services. Ecological Entomology 41: 400–412. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/een.12310.
Lázaro A., Tscheulin T., Devalez J., Nakas G., Stefanaki A., Hanlidou E., Petanidou T. (2016). Moderation is best: effects of grazing intensity on pollination networks in Mediterranean communities. Ecological Applications 26(3): 796-807. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/15-0202.
Pérez-Bañón S., Radenković S., Vujić A., Ståhls G., Rojo S., Grković A., Petanidou T. (2016). Brachyopa minima (Diptera: Syrphidae), a new species from the Greek island of Lesvos with notes on the biodiversity and conservation of the genus Brachyopa Meigen, 1822. Zootaxa 4072 (2): 217–234. http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4072.2.5.
Grković A., Vujić A., Radenković S., Chroni A., Petanidou T. (2015). Diversity of the genus Eumerus Meigen (Diptera, Syrphidae) on the eastern Mediterranean islands with description of three new species. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 51(4): 361–373. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00379271.2016.1144483.
Schaich H., Kizos T., Schneider S., Plieninger T. (2015). Land Change in Eastern Mediterranean Wood-Pasture Landscapes: The Case of Deciduous Oak Woodlands in Lesvos (Greece). Environmental Management 56(1): 110-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0496-y.
Adamidis G.C., Dimitrakopoulos P.G., Manolis A., Papageorgiou A.C. (2014). Genetic diversity and population structure of the serpentine endemic Ni hyperaccumulator Alyssum lesbiacum. Plant Systematics and Evolution 300(9): 2051-2060. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00606-014-1047-3.
Sluis T.V.D., Kizos T., Pedroli B. (2014). Landscape change in Mediterranean farmlands: Impacts of land abandonment on cultivation terraces in Portofino (Italy) and Lesvos (Greece). Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic) 7(1): 23-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2014-0008.
Petanidou T., Ståhls G., Vujić A., Olesen J.M., Rojo S., Thrasyvoulou A., Sgardelis S., Kallimanis A.S., Kokkini S., Tscheulin T. (2013). Investigating Plant–Pollinator Relationships in the Aegean: the approaches of the project POL-AEGIS (The Pollinators of the Aegean Archipelago: Diversity and Threats). Journal of Apicultural Research 52(2): 106–117. http://dx.doi.org/10.3896/IBRA.1.52.2.20.
Petanidou T., Duffy K., Karatza A., Kantsa A. (2013). Reduced fecundity in large populations of a Mediterranean orchid that occur in a human-modified landscape. BAAE – Basic and Applied Ecology 14: 36–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2012.11.007.
Tscheulin T., Petanidou T. (2013). The presence of Solanum elaeagnifolium, an invasive plant in the Mediterranean, increases pollen limitation in the native co-flowering species Glaucium flavum. Biological Invasions 15: 385–393. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-012-0293-y.
Stuke J.-H., Petanidou T., Clements D., Taylor M.J. (2012). Records of Conopidae (Diptera) from the North Aegean islands Chios and Lesvos, Greece. Dipterist Digest 19: 171–177.
Nielsen A., Dauber J., Kunin W.E., Lamborn E., Meyer B., Moora M., Potts S.G., Roberts S., Sõber V., Settele J., Steffan-Dewenter I., Stout J.C., Tscheulin T., Vaitis M., Vivarelli D., Biesmeijer J.C., Petanidou T. (2012). Pollinator community responses to the spatial population structure of wild plants: A pan-European approach. Basic and Applied Ecology 13: 489–499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2012.08.008.
Barthell JF, Hranitz JM, Redd JR, Clement ML, Crocker KC, Becker EC, Leavitt KD, McCall B, Mills-Novoa M, Walker CM, Petanidou T, Wells H (2012). Observations on nectar availability and bee visitation at patches of yellow star-thistle and yellow star-thistle on the northeast Aegean island of Lesvos (Greece). Uludag Bee Journal 12(2): 55–61.
Petanidou T., Godfree R.C., Song D.S., Kantsa A., Dupont Y.L, Waser N.M. (2012). Self-compatibility and plant invasiveness: Comparing species in native and invasive ranges. Perspectives in Plant ecology, Evolution and Systematics 14: 3–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2011.08.003.
Milic D., Luković J., Dan M., Zorić L., Obreht D., Veselić S., Anačkov G., Petanidou T. (2011). Identification of Salicornia population: anatomical characterization and rapd fingerprinting. Archives of Biological Sciences – Belgrade 63(4): 1087–1098. http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/ABS1104087.
Nielsen A., Steffan-Dewenter I., Westphal C., Messinger O., Potts S.G., Roberts S., Settele J., Szentgyorgyi H., Vaissiere B.E., Vaitis M., Woyciechowski M., Bazos I., Biesmeijer J.C., Bommarco R., Kunin W.E., Tscheulin Τ., Lamborn E., Petanidou T. (2011). Assessing bee species richness in two Mediterranean communities: importance of habitat type and sampling techniques. Ecological Research 26(5): 969–983. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11284-011-0852-1.
Tscheulin T., Neokosmidis L., Petanidou T., Settele J. (2011). Impact of landscape context on the abundance and diversity of bees in Mediterranean olive groves. Bulletin of Entomological Research 101: 557–564. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007485311000149.
Radenkovic S., Vujic A., Ståhls G., Pérez-Bañón C., Rojo S., Petanidou T., Simic S. (2011). Three new cryptic species of the genus Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece). Zootaxa 2735: 35–56.
Tscheulin T., Petanidou T. (2011). Does spatial population structure affect seed set in pollen-limited Thymus capitatus? Apidologie 42: 67–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/apido/2010035.
Kizos Τ., Dalaka Α., Petanidou Τ. (2010). Farmers’ practices and landscape change: Evidence from the abandonment of olive cultivation on terraces on Lesvos, Greece. Agriculture and Human values 27: 199–212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10460-009-9206-9.
Hammen V.C., Biesmeijer J.C., Kunin W.E., Bommarco R., Budrys E., Christensen T.R., Fronzek S., Grabaum R., Klotz S., Kroel-Dulay G., Kühn I., Jaksic P., Kramarz P., Mirtl M., Moora M., Petanidou T., Potts S.G. et al. (2010). Establishment of a cross-European field site network in the ALARM project for assessing large-scale changes in biodiversity. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 164 (1–4): 337–348. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0896-7.
Dauber J., Biesmeijer J., Gabriel D., Kunin W.E., Lamborn E., Meyer B., Nielsen A., Potts S.G., Sõber V., Steffan-Dewenter I., Settele J., Stout J.C., Teder T., Tscheulin T., Vivarelli D., Petanidou T. (2010). Effects of plant population structure on flower visitation and seed set of wild plants at two spatial scales: a pan-European approach. Journal of Ecology 98: 188–196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009.01590.x.
Kazakou E., Adamidis G.C., Baker A.J.M., Reeves R.D., Godino M., Dimitrakopoulos P.G. (2010). Species adaptation in serpentine soils in Lesbos Island (Greece): Metal hyperaccumulation and tolerance. Plant and Soil 332(1): 369-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0302-9.
Kizos T., Koulouri M. (2010). Same land cover, same land use at the large scale, different landscapes at the small scale: Landscape change in olive plantations on Lesvos Island, Greece. Landscape Research 35(4): 449-467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01426390802048297.
Vilà M., Bartomeus I., Dietzsch A.C., Petanidou T., Steffan-Dewenter I., Stout J.C., Tscheulin T. (2009). Invasive plant integration into native plant–pollinator networks across Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London – B 276 (1674): 3887–3893. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.1076.
Ståhls G., Vujić A, Pérez-Bañon C., Rojo S., Petanidou T. (2009). COI barcodes for identification of Merodon hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) of Lesvos Island. Molecular Ecology Resources 9: 1431–1438. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02592.x.
Tscheulin T., Petanidou T., Potts S.G., Settele J. (2009). The impact of Solanum elaeagnifolium, an invasive plant in the Mediterranean, on the flower visitation and seed set of the native co-flowering species Glaucium flavum. Plant Ecology 205 (1): 77–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9599-y.
Barthell JF, Clement ML, Daniel S. Song DS, Savitski An, Hranitz JM, Wells H, Petanidou T., Thorp RW, Wenner AM, Griswold TL. (2009). Nectar secretion and bee guild characteristics of yellow star-thistle on Santa Cruz Island and Lesvos: where have the honey bees gone? Uludag Bee Journal 9 (3): 109–121.
Tscheulin T., Petanidou T., Settele J. (2009). Invasive weed facilitates incidence of invasive pest on native crop. International Journal of Pest management 55: 165–173. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09670870802660684.
Westphal C., Bommarco R., Carré G., Lamborn E., Petanidou T., Potts S.G, Roberts S.P.M., Szentgyörgyi H., Tscheulin T., Vaissière B.E., Woyciechowski M., Biesmeijer J.C., Kunin W.E., Settele J., Steffan-Dewenter I. (2008). Measuring pollinator biodiversity in different habitats and biogeographic regions. Ecological Monographs 78(4): 653–671. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/07-1292.1.
Westphal C., Bommarco R., Carré G., Lamborn E., Petanidou T., Potts S.G, Roberts S.P.M., Szentgyörgyi H., Tscheulin T., Vaissière B.E., Woyciechowski M., Biesmeijer J.C., Kunin W.E., Settele J., Steffan-Dewenter I. (2008). Measuring pollinator biodiversity in different habitats and biogeographic regions. Ecological Monographs 78(4): 653–671. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/07-1292.1.
Petanidou T, Kizos T., Soulakellis N. (2008). Socioeconomic dimensions of the agricultural landscape change in the Mediterranean: the case of the abandonment of cultivation terraces on Nisyros island, Greece. Environmental Management 41: 250–266. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-007-9054-6.
Vujic A., Pérez-Bañón C., S. Radenkovic, G. Ståhls, S. Rojo, T. Petanidou, S. Simic (2007). Two new species of Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Syrphidae, Diptera) from the island of Lesvos (Greece), East Mediterranean. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 43(3): 319–326.
Potts S.G., Petanidou T., Roberts S., O’Toole C., Hulbert A., Willmer P. (2006). Plant–pollinator biodiversity and pollination services in a complex Mediterranean landscape. Biological Conservation 129: 519–529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2005.11.019.