AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AFFECTING THE FUNCTIONS AND VALUES OF RAMSAR WETLAND SITES OF GREECE

Agricultural activities in the agroecosystems neighbouring wetland eco systems are considered a major threat to the latter in all Mediterrane an countries. This threat was investigated in thirteen internationally important wetland sites (Ramsar sites) of Greece. The effects of ten activities commonly practised in the surrounding agroecosystems on fou r wetland functions and four wetland values were evaluated. The functi ons were: nutrient removal/transformation, sediment/toxicant retention , flood flow alteration, and ground water discharge. The values were: biodiversity, fishing, hunting, and recreation. It was found that the Adamus' Wetland Evaluation Technique is useful even in the little stud ied Ramsar sites of Greece. Irrigation is the most decisive activity n egatively influencing all functions and values, followed by cropland e xpansion and overgrazing. Coastal lagoons are the least affected by ag ricultural activities. It is concluded that in Greece the sustainabili ty of wetland ecosystems depends to a significant degree on the sustai nability of agroecosystems. The reverse is also true because wetlands provide irrigation water, crop pollinators, some frost protection, and predators of crop pests. The two ecosystem types are functionally clo sely linked. Therefore, a national policy for the sustainable developm ent of the soil, water, and genetic resources of Greece must integrati vely consider both these ecosystems types. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B .V. All rights reserved.