Other categories of protected areas in Greece are: Aesthetic Forests, Preserved Natural Monuments, Ramsar Wetlands, Wildlife Refuges, Game Breeding Stations, Biogenetic Reserves, Biosphere Reserves, World Heritage Areas, Absolute Nature Reserve Areas and European Diploma areas.
The term aesthetic forests designates wooded areas or natural landscapes of special aesthetic, ecological and tourist value, whose flora, fauna and singular natural beauty must be protected. For the protection, organisation and improvement of aesthetic forests, measures are taken and works are carried out in accordance with the legislation in force for the peripheral (buffer) zones of national parks. Greece numbers 19 aesthetic forests with a total surface of 33,109 hectares. These are:
Vai palm-tree forest (Lassithi, Crete) Kessariani's forest (Attica)
Vale of Tempi's (Larissa) Karaiskaki's (Karditsa)
Xylokastro's (Corinthia) Panemistimioupolis of Patra's (Achaia)
Ioannina's (Ioannina) Farsala's (Larissa) Steni's (Evvia)
Ossa Forestal Complex (Larissa) Mongostos (Corinthia)
Nikopolis Mytika (Preveza) Skiathos pine-forest Nestos River Straits's (Xanthi, Kavala) Ethnikis Anexartissias's, Kalavryta
(Achaia) Tithorea's (Fthiotida) Amygdaleonas's (Kavala) Ailia's
(Trikala) Kouri Almyrou's (Magnesia).
The category Preserved Natural Monuments includes individual trees or clumps of trees of outstanding botanical, paleontological, aesthetic, historical and cultural value, as well as areas of great ecological, paleontological or geomorphologic interest. The relevant legislation was enacted under the forest code. Today the designated preserved natural monuments amount to 51 and cover a total area of 16,840 hectares. Most monuments occupy just a few square meters. In total, the land area covered corresponds to 0.12% of the country's territory, while 21.32 hectares are in marine environment.
Ramsar Wetlands
Wetlands of international importance. These are included in the International Convention of Ramsar, Iran (1971), signed by Greece and ratified by virtue of Legislative Decree 191/74. There are 146 contracting parties in this convention, with 1,462 wetlands, covering 125.4 million hectares. There are 10 wetlands on Greek territory, listed below:
Evros Delta Lake Vistonis, Porto Lagos, Lake Ismaris (Mitrikou) and Messis Lagoons
Nestos Delta and adjacent lagoons - Lake Koronia and Lake Volvi
Axios-Loudias-Aliakmon Delta Lake Kerkini
- Lake Mikri Prespa and Lake Megali Prespa Amvrakikos Gulf Messolonghi Lagoon Kotychi Lagoon
Wildlife Refuges are areas covering the basic needs of wild animals, such as food, water and privacy. Local hunting prohibitions, game breeding stations and controlled hunting areas can also be established, in order to "protect and save the country's natural environment" and "to preserve, develop and exploit the game wealth of our country". These areas constitute a network of protected areas, where the laws for hunting play an important role in the preservation of wild fauna. The number of refuges and hunting prohibitions, as well as the changes in boundaries and sizes of these areas are set each year.
Today, there are c. 580 Wildlife Refuges in Greece, covering approximately 860,000
hectares, 21 Game Breeding Stations covering 2,937 hectares and
7 Controlled Hunting Areas, covering 108,843 hectares
(Hellenic Ornithologic Society).
Special Protection Areas for the Birds
In 1979 the European Union issued a decision for the preservation of wild birds, known as the 79/409/EEC Directive. According to this Directive, each member of the European Union is obliged to preserve not only wild birds' populations, but also sufficient size and diversity of their biotopes, in order to achieve their protection. Subsequently, the "Special Protection Areas" were created for the preservation of certain species. 113 of those areas have been designated in Greece.
Biosphere Reserve
According to the United Nation's programme "Human and Biosphere", two areas in our country have been declared Biosphere Reserves: Samaria's Gorge and Olympus National Park.
Biogenetic Reserve
The European Council has declared the following areas, Biogenetic Reserves: Chaidou beech forest
Central Rodopi virgin forest Almopia Arideas natural mixed forest Olympus National Park Pindos National Park (core) Grammos mixed forest
Prespes National Park Kouri Almyrou oak forest Lagana's Gulf Aenos National Park (core)
- Lesini ash forest Oiti National Park
Sapientza forest of evergreen broadleaves
Embonas cypress forest in Rhodes Samaria National Park - Paranesti virgin forest
World Heritage
The United Nations have declared these monuments of World Heritage in Greece: Meteora - Mount Athos - the temple of Apollo Epicurius at Vassae - the sanctuary of Asclepios at Epidaurus - the Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos - the Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki - the Old Town of Corfu - the Monasteries of Daphni, Osios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios - the Medieval City of Rhodes - the Historic Centre with the Monastery of St. John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the island of Patmos - Delos island - the archaelogical sites of Mycenae and Tiryns - the archaeological site of Olympia - the archaeological site of Mystras - the archaeological site of Delphi - the archaeological site of Aigai (Vergina) - Acropolis of Athens.
Absolute Nature Reserve Areas
Absolute nature reserve areas are: Mikro and Megalo Seitani Samou, and Dystos Wetland in Evvia.
European Diploma
The European Diploma of the Council of Europe has been given only to the Samaria National Park.
