Project Team

Project team leader

Professor Kyriacos Georghiou

Project members

Professor Costas Thanos

Vallianatou Irini

Ilias Dimitriadis

PhD. Candidate Spyridon Oikonomidis

Project Summary

Veronica oetaea is a dwarf plant species specialised in temporary ponds (habitat type 3170*) of high altitudes. It is a local endemic of Mt. Oeta at two locations: the Leivadies plateau and Greveno peak in the site of the National Park of Oeta and it can be found in 3 mediterranean temporary ponds of the mountain. It is included in the Red Data Book of the plants of Greece as a critically endangered species.

In the current project the population enhancement of the 3 known population is attempted along with the introduction of the species in a 4th mediterranean temporary pond of Mt. Oeta

As follow up of the, already, finished LIFE ForOpenForests the annual monitoring of the populations of the species is also continued.

Expected outputs

Output 1

Ex situ conservation of Veronica oetaea by seed storage in the Seed Bank of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and creation of seed collection and storage protocol for the species

Output 2

Three year population monitoring of the three populations of Veronica oetaea in the MTPs of Mt. Oeta

Output 3

Pilot protocols for the enchancement of the exist populations of Veronica oetaea and its introduction in the MTP of Louka

Output 4

Study of the germination ecophysiology of Veronica oetaea seeds