Inventory, classification and floristic composition of the wetland habitats of mount Grammos pseudoalpine pastures

The pseudoalpine pastoral ecosystems are complex and diverse habitats whose form and type are determined by environmental parameters such as relief, the geological substrate and the soil moisture. In locations of the above zone where the substrate is not drained, e.g. depressions, flat land on compact ground or close to the exit of natural springs, wetland habitats are formed. These habitats are usually of limited extend and the water level appears slightly lower or higher from the ground surface.The pseudoalpine wetlands (small ponds, seasonal lakes or marshes and rarely fens) are significant factors that increase the biodiversity of the pseudoalpine ecosystems because they sustain a specific flora of hydrophilous species and provide biotopes for the breeding of fauna species (amphibians-reptiles). Finally, they are of great importance in livestock production because they supply drinking water for the animals during the summer period. In the present study, a first inventory of the pseudoalpine wetlands of Grammos was carried out and preliminary data are presented, concerning the location, the extend, the floristic composition and the classification according to the 92/43 directive of the most important between them. This information may contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity of the pseudoalpine pastoral ecosystems in mount Grammos and provide the basis for a sustainable management.