Nature protection and biodiversity - Drivers and pressures (Cyprus)

The primary threats to biodiversity is the growing demand for natural resources and ecosystem services. Anthropogenic changes in conjunction with natural impacts are causing major alteration on the biotopes. Residential development, infrastructure, tourism, invasive species and quarrying are among the most serious threats that ecosystems are facing today. Furthermore highway and rural road construction has led to habitat loss and a fragmentation of nature areas.

The most frequent types of threats involve the transformation or modification of natural habitats (Table 2).

Table 2 Major change of land use 2006

Changes in land use is the greatest threat to the ecosystem, flora and fauna.  Urbanization is considered a main driving force (demographic and economic) and exerts pressure on the natural environment and human health/well-being, at country level. Over the last two decades the rural area of the island has been substantially abandoned, with serious effects on the ecosystems. Agriculture habitats of the traditional landscape are being lost, along with many of their plant and insect species.

Significant is also the impact of the construction of roads all over the island, causing fragmentation, and habitat and landscape looses its functional ability with negative consequence on the biodiversity values.  Most severely threatened habitats are the coastal, which are altered by regulation of river systems and dam construction.

The rise of tourism as a prime economic activity has led to rapid development along the coast, changing the landscape. Many of the most severely threatened habitats are in agriculture land and costal areas, which have been altered by development of housing and sport leisure.

Alien species are threat to the general biodiversity and there are several cases where they cause severe problems.  The problem is expected to increase as a consequence of climate change due to that the alien species can adapt easily to the new conditions.

In respect to the biological diversity and ecological stability, conservation of the natural structure of forest areas is essential, since a significant percentage of these areas represents natural ecosystems. Temperature variation and prolonged droughts are among some of the main concerns regarding ecosystem health. Cyprus has always suffered from prolonged droughts which negatively influence the aquatic and wetland natural habitats and river ecosystems.