Nature protection and biodiversity - State and impacts (Cyprus)

Cyprus is a biodiversity hot spot area, with 49 habitat types (9 priority habitat) of Annex I of the Habitats Directive, 92/43/EC, rich plant and animal species and mosaic of biotopes.  The island has extensive natural coniferous forests and expansion of phrygama. The ecosystems consist of high forest, shrubs, traditional cultivated orchard trees and vineyards, which constitute important habitats for rare plants.  Biodiversity in Cyprus has not been fully assessed, but within the scope of the  Natura 2000 Network, a survey for the habitat status will be carried out during 2010. Furthermore that Management Plans have been completed for a number Natura 2000 sites and monitoring will commence for both habitat and species.

The most serious threats to the nature of Cyprus are the effects of climate change, land use change, invasive species, illegal hunting and forest fires (with a forested area of 7% burnt in the period 1990 to 2008). The available statistics indicate that in Cyprus  14% of the flora is threatened with extinction, while the situation of all known species found to be in danger is approximately 34%, (Table 1).

Another serious threat to the Cypriot nature is the shortage of water and the long droughts that the island often faces. Due to the dam construction, rivers are dry for more than 6 month per year, with negative effects on the ecosystem and the organism that they sustain.  

Table 1 A Red Data Book of Flora of Cyprus (2007).

Agricultural areas are also a significant part natural environment. The agricultural land comprises  48% of the national territory (CLC 2006), a large percentage of which presents characteristics of noteworthy natural value, in terms of genetic and species biodiversity, as well as that of the landscape, which serves as zone of connection with natural spaces.

Undoubtly the rapid economic growth of Cyprus causes a certain degree of degradation of the environment,  as well as biodiversity loss. Anthropogenic pressure for the nature and biodiversity could be considered the fragmentation of the habitats, infrastructure, urbanization, development of the coastal areas while invasive species are among the major threats to the environment. The rural area of the island is profoundly abandoned and this can cause degradation of the landscape and the loss of species that live there.