Long term monitoring of the vegetation in the salt marsh of “Psili Amnos”, Samos, Greece – the outlines of the monitoring project

Abstract

This short note presents research project on SAMOS: PARALIA ALYKI in Greece. The area of the research includes salt marsh of about 500 m2 which is located in the Natura 2000 protected area of the site code GR4120001. There are 150 protected birds including 57 birds in the red list of IUCN. Vegetation is quite heterogeneous and distinct in different sections. The aim of the project is to develop and implement a long term monitoring scheme for the salt marsh of “Psili Amnos” to assess changes of the vegetation over time and to assess anthropogenic and natural threat in order to take conservation measures. In a note in addition to the presentation of the site and the research aim also the methods considered for monitoring of vegetation are briefly described. To achieve optimal and universal methodology there was discussed which of the methods of data collection and processing typically used in monitoring vegetation could be used both in a project implemented at salt marsh “Psili AMNOS” as well as in studies of coastal and inland salt marshes in Poland.