CorfuTimes - Εικόνες από τους Κερκυραϊκούς Υγρότοπους

ΕΙΚΟΝΕΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥΣ ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑΪΚΟΥΣ ΥΓΡΟΤΟΠΟΥΣ
ΛΙΜΝΟΘΑΛΑΣΣΑ ΚΟΡΙΣΣΙΩΝ

(περιοχή ενταγμένη στο δίχτυο προστασίας NATURA 2000)



Νοέμβριος – Δεκέμβριος 2008

. ΤΣΙΚΝΙΑΔΕΣ

Τον Νοέμβριο του 2008 ένα μεγάλο κοπάδι Τσικνιάδων (περισσότερα από 150 πουλιά) επισκέφτηκε την λίμνη και παρέμεινε σε αυτήν μέχρι το τέλος του χρόνου.

Με το νέο έτος ο κύριος όγκος του σμήνους μετατοπίστηκε σε άλλες περιοχές ενώ στην λιμνοθάλασσα Κορισσίων παρέμειναν περίπου 40 πουλιά.

Την ίδια περίοδο, την λίμνη επισκέφτηκε και ένα μικρό κοπάδι σταχτο-Τσικνιάδων (περίπου 20 πουλιά) τα οποία αποχώρησαν μαζί με τους λευκο-Τσικνιάδες,

Κέρκυρα 13/1/2009

ΟΜΑΔΑ

ΟΙΚΟΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΩΝ & ΦΥΣΙΚΟΥ ΤΟΠΙΟΥ

ΤΟΥ ΣΥΛΛΟΓΟΥ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑΣ

ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΟΣ ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑΣ
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GR2230002

Ονομασία
ΛΙΜΝΟΘΑΛΑΣΣΑ ΚΟΡΙΣΣΙΩΝ (ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ)
Έκταση
2350
Γεωγραφική θέση
Γεωγραφικό μήκος: E 19° 55' 0'' Γεωγραφικό Πλάτος: N 39° 27' 0''
Χαρακτηριστικά περιοχής
This area lying on the SW coast of the island of Kerkyra (Corfu), is of great importance not only as a wetland but also because of the biological and aesthetic value of the sandy beaches close to the lagoon. At the southern sandy beach, the presence on the island of the unique Juniperus stands and the petrified sand-dunes create an area of great aesthetic value. The site consists of: the Korission Lake (the largest lake in Kerkyra), and the surrounding lake and seashores which are charcterized by varied and important Mediterranean vegetation types. Among them are: 1) The cruceanelletum maritimae which has the eastern limits of its distribution range here in the Korission area. This area is also the single locality in Greece from where Crucianella maritima has been reported, and 2) The Juniperous phoencea stands growing on the southern sandy beaches of the area which seem to be the unique remnants of such a forest in the islands of Corfu. The site is also characterized by the petrifed sand-dunes which create an area of great aesthetic value. The most important part of the site is that separating the sea from Korission Lake (between Garziki Point and the beginning of Agios Georgios beach). This is a complex, interesting and almost unaltered ecosystem, one of the few remaining natural ecosystems in Corfu which has not been greatly changed by tourist development.
QUALITY
As mentioned 4.1, the Lake Korission area is a complex and more or less still well-conserved ecosytem of high biological, aesthetic and, as a consequence, economic value, unusual for an island such as Kerkyra which has been so greatly altered by tourist development. As for the main wetland in the island of Kerkyra, Korission Lake is an important site for wildlife protection in the area, and especially for bird migration and breeding, the survival of the protected species Lutra lutra and conservation of the natural vegetation types existing in the area. A status of a protective legal frame is necessary for this site. Strict law abiding to the existing legal frame is also required. On the other hand, the site needs further studies to develop a sustainable management programme and the development of activities which would be friendly to the environment. The presence of coniferous representatives as elements of low altitude Mediterranean types of vegetation is not very common and very often existing Juniperus phoenicea's clusters are considered as remnants of old and more extensive forests. Moreover Juniperus clusters as those observed in sandy beaches of SW Kerkyra (Korission Lake's area) are very rare in Greece. The occurrence of the otter Lutra lutra in Lake Korission is uncertain. The last reliable observation of this threatened carnivore ("Vulnerable" according to the Greek Red Data Book) was made in 1986. Probably very few individuals, if any, are left in this site. Of the other taxa recorded in the area and included in Annex II of the Directive 92/43/EEC (section 3.2), the tortoise Testudo hermanni and the two terrapins, Emys orbicularis and Mauremys caspica, seem to be common. Two fish species mentioned in the same Annex also occur; of them Valencia hispanica is classified in the SW Balkans under the name V. letourneuxi (Economidis, pers. comm.). Twenty more taxa recorded in the area are listed as either Other or Greek Important Species (sections 3.3 and 3.4). Among them the jackal Canis aureus is threatened in Greece (threat category "Vulnerable"); it is very rare throughout the island of Kerkyra which, together with the island of Samos, is the only Greek island still maintaining small jackal populations. Also, the gobiid fish Knipowitschia goerneri, a local endemic taxon, is considered as "Threatened" by the Greek Red Data Book. Apart from this taxon, all the others listed in sections 3.3 and 3.4 are protected by the Bern Convention and therefore receive the C motivation. The same motivation is addditionally given to the boid snake Eryx jaculus since it is also protected by the CITES Convention. Most taxa of the site which fall under the C motivation category also receive the D motivation because they are protected by Greek legislation; namely with the exceptions of the frogs Rana epeirotica and R. ridibunda, the legless lizard Ophisaurus apodus, the snakes Typhlops vermicularis, Eryx jaculus and Vipera ammodytes, and the Beech Marten Martes foina, all the remaining are protected by the Presidential Decree 67/1981. Moreover, the D motivation is given to the frog Rana dalmatina and the colubrid snakes Elaphe longissima and Natrix tessellata since they are mentioned in the handbook of the CORINE-Biotopes Project. Finally, the D motivation is given to four Balkan endemic taxa: the frog Rana epeirotica, the lacertid lizards Alygyroides nigropunctatus and Podarcis taurica ionica and the colubrid snake Coluber gemonensis.
The fauna of this wetland also includes a large number of birds of more than 120 sedentary and migratory taxa. For its role in bird migration and breeding, this site has been characterized as an EC Important Bird Area. Taking into consideration the diversity and composition of the local fauna, we can say that it sufficiently contributes to the overall ecological value of the site. The invertebrate species listed in section 3.3 with motivation C are protected by the Bern Convention. The invertebrate species listed in section 3.3 with motivation C are protected by the Bern Convention. The invertebrate species listed in sections 3.3 and 3.4 with motivation D are protected by the Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981. Anthocharis damone and Pieris krueperi are also included in the IUCN Red List. Additionally, Heodes alciphron is included in the IUCN Red List. Pieris ergane is also included in the "Listing of biotopes in Europe according to their significance for invertebrates".Saturnia pyri is protected by the IUCN Red List and the European Red List of Globally Threatened Animals and Plants and it is included in the "Listing of biotopes in Europe according to their significance for invertebrates".
VULNERABILITY
This site is in need of protection from land use changes because of tourist development. The site is negatively influenced because of unorganized tourist and leisure activities, pesticides, over usage of fertilizers, polluted discharges and uncontrolled hunting and fishing, the construction of new roads and vehicle circulation. Other serious reasons for decline of the area concerned are overgrazing and sand removal from the beach. The possible extinction of Lutra lutra from this site is obviously due to hunting, while heavy grazing in combination with sand removal has already caused serious damage to both the relief and the vegetation of the sand hills lying between the lake and the sea. The increasing rate of building activities (both for habitation and tourist settlements) is another threat of no less weight. These alterations surely affected animals occupying this area (e.g., the snakes Eryx jaculus, Malpolon monspessulanus, Vipera ammodytes and the lizards Ophisaurus apodus and Podarcis taurica ionica). There are plans and work in progress for the construction of settlements for intensive water culture which will, of course, cause further damage within and around the site.
DESIGNATION
The site partially overlaps with a game refuge according to the FEK 600/B/76. The total amount (41%) of the land area of this site is under the zone of control of urban development act (ZOE), (FEK 407/D/89).
OWNERSHIP
Owned totally by the Public.