A nearby tavern owner, Wolfe says, shares Wray's concern for the wetland and wishes that it could be protected so that tourists could enjoy it. "I think she sees that this could be a great tourist area if it is managed correctly," Wolfe says. Other business owners aren't as ecologically concerned, according to Wray. "A lot of hotels would like to see it filled in and another resort put on it."
The wetland is fed by the Aposelemos River and usually reaches to the Sea of Crete on the island's northern edge each winter. Sand volleyball, umbrellas and beach chairs, as well as the tents and campers of some squatters, sit closeby. Wray points to some weeds. They show evidence that the wetland has been encroached on by non-wetlands (or terrestrial) types of flora.
"Wetlands have very specific kinds of plants. If this type of invasion continues, it will not be a wetland anymore," says Wray.
Wolfe and Wray's concern for the wetland's critical state have prompted them to write a proposal that will be presented to local authorities. They suggest taking immediate action to save it. The site should be included in the Heritage Corridor of natural and historic spaces that the UC team is also recommending, the environmental researchers urge.
In addition to studying the biotope, Wolfe has worked this summer to identify several sites to include in the proposed corridor. Among them are four gorges -- Aposelemis, Ambelou, Embassa and Rosas -- and the Gully of Pharagouli. There are also three forests --Agia Fotini, a stand of live oaks and other deciduous trees west of the village of Avdou; Koumdrodassos, a stand of strawberry trees that is perhaps the largest stand of this type of trees in all of Crete; and the forest of Sfendyli, an area that will be obliterated if a proposed dam is built.
"It's definitely been educational," says Wolfe of the summer's labors. I
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Contact: Marianne Kunnen-Jones
marianne.kunnen-jones@uc.edu
513-556-1826
University of Cincinnati
24-Jul-2000