Values, Alterations and Degradation of the Natural Landscape 101
they were formed in the time space between the Palaeogene and Neogene
periods, with outlines similar to the contemporary ones. They were finally
shaped in the Quaternary, circa 2 million years ago.
The coast is a characteristic example of an ecotone, i.e. of a transitional
phase between two different ecosystems. It constitutes an intermediate
zone between land and sea, with an extreme linear geometry, given that it
has a very great length and small width, which makes it very vulnerable to
external perturbations.
The ecological characteristics of the coast come from the overlapping of
the ecosystems it divides: for example, it has an intermediate temperature,
humidity, or salinity, while it includes biological species of both marine
and terrestrial environments as well as characteristic species of coastal
habitats. As is the case in other ecotones, species diversity and density of
biological populations are usually greater than those of the neighbouring
areas. Productivity is also generally significant, because the main limiting
factors, which are nutrients in the sea and humidity in the land, usually
present a satisfactory availability in coastal ecosystems. Thus the coastal
environment bustles with life, given that trophic conditions are satisfactory
for the organisms.
An integrated knowledge of the coastal environment, however, is not
at a satisfactory level and there still is a significant lack of scientific information. This is partly due to the fragmentation of research about partial
objects, e.g. terrestrial environment, marine environment, botany, zoology,
geology etc. There is a great need for interdisciplinary projects so that the
function of coastal ecosystems and their conservation needs as well as the
possibilities of their utilization can be studied.
5.4.1.1 Coastal Wetlands
Some coastal ecosystems, such as the areas of coral reefs, of brackish
marshes, lagoons, river Deltas and tide zones have a very high productivity,
comparable to that of tropical forests. These ecosystems belong to the category of wetlands and greatly contribute to the ecological equilibrium of
the neighbouring terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Coastal wetlands are
very important for feeding, resting, nesting and breeding of a large number
of aquatic, seashore, and marine, migratory or non-migratory, birds, as
well as of many birds of prey, and also for the preservation of many biological species that are endangered. They also play a determinative role in the
development of marine organisms’ early stages and especially the alevin of
many fish that are of great significance for fishing.
The role of these spaces is also significant in the decomposition of dead
organic matter, in the completion of processes in the cycles of carbon,
nitrogen, and phosphorus, and in the cleansing of incoming waters from
nutrient salts, organic substances, heavy metals etc. Thus they significantly
they were formed in the time space between the Palaeogene and Neogene
periods, with outlines similar to the contemporary ones. They were finally
shaped in the Quaternary, circa 2 million years ago.
The coast is a characteristic example of an ecotone, i.e. of a transitional
phase between two different ecosystems. It constitutes an intermediate
zone between land and sea, with an extreme linear geometry, given that it
has a very great length and small width, which makes it very vulnerable to
external perturbations.
The ecological characteristics of the coast come from the overlapping of
the ecosystems it divides: for example, it has an intermediate temperature,
humidity, or salinity, while it includes biological species of both marine
and terrestrial environments as well as characteristic species of coastal
habitats. As is the case in other ecotones, species diversity and density of
biological populations are usually greater than those of the neighbouring
areas. Productivity is also generally significant, because the main limiting
factors, which are nutrients in the sea and humidity in the land, usually
present a satisfactory availability in coastal ecosystems. Thus the coastal
environment bustles with life, given that trophic conditions are satisfactory
for the organisms.
An integrated knowledge of the coastal environment, however, is not
at a satisfactory level and there still is a significant lack of scientific information. This is partly due to the fragmentation of research about partial
objects, e.g. terrestrial environment, marine environment, botany, zoology,
geology etc. There is a great need for interdisciplinary projects so that the
function of coastal ecosystems and their conservation needs as well as the
possibilities of their utilization can be studied.
5.4.1.1 Coastal Wetlands
Some coastal ecosystems, such as the areas of coral reefs, of brackish
marshes, lagoons, river Deltas and tide zones have a very high productivity,
comparable to that of tropical forests. These ecosystems belong to the category of wetlands and greatly contribute to the ecological equilibrium of
the neighbouring terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Coastal wetlands are
very important for feeding, resting, nesting and breeding of a large number
of aquatic, seashore, and marine, migratory or non-migratory, birds, as
well as of many birds of prey, and also for the preservation of many biological species that are endangered. They also play a determinative role in the
development of marine organisms’ early stages and especially the alevin of
many fish that are of great significance for fishing.
The role of these spaces is also significant in the decomposition of dead
organic matter, in the completion of processes in the cycles of carbon,
nitrogen, and phosphorus, and in the cleansing of incoming waters from
nutrient salts, organic substances, heavy metals etc. Thus they significantly