DR5 Xiromero, Aetoloakarnania (Greece)
Current status
The study area is the valonia oak (Quercus ithaburensis subs. macrolepis) forest of Xiromero in west Greece. The core area of the forest stretches in a line of hills to the west and south of Lake Ozeros, up to the village of Astakos which is the capital of the Xiromero municipality, covering an area of more than 4400 ha whereas the partially forested area amounts to 3300 ha. Grazing is applied by sheep and goat at a stocking rate of approximately 5.5 ha.
The forest provides several ES (ecosystem services) ranging from provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural. It is the last greatest valonia oak forest in the Balkan peninsula. In the area there are two extremes: lack of grazing leads to flammable biomass buildup whereas overgrazing leads to soil physical properties’ deterioration. This DR includes a single PD.
Leader:
AUA
Regional authority:
Hellenic Forest Service and Municipality of Xiromero
Key stakeholders to engage:
Local stakeholders including:
- Farmers, livestock breeders, local prefecture, local Forest Service, local municipality, local associations
There is significant potential to implement innovative, nature-based solutions in the forest to help address the challenges of climate change in an area of great environmental, social, and cultural importance.
Actions to be implemented:
- 100% forest fire risk reduction
- 100% biodiversity preservation
- 2000 stakeholders at least involved and be informed of the project
- At least adoptability of measures proposed by all European and world countries having oak silvopastoral systems
Specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
The KPI for the impact of project results include:
- Reduction of forest fire risk factors & public awareness raising about the risks
- Recommendations for forest management policies and measures
- Production of recommendations- tools for forest protection, management and modelling
- Sustainable forest management strategies
- Forest fires fast detection, reliable spread monitoring, and quick & efficient response by using innovative technologies
- Increase readiness of these ecosystems on climate change
Videos
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Latest News
DRYAD Releases its Official Project Video: Planting the Seeds for a Climate-Resilient Mediterranean Future
DRYAD, a Horizon Europe project running from 2024 to 2028, has released its official project video, presenting its mission, objectives, and the work being carried out to strengthen the climate resilience of Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystems....
DRYAD General Assembly: A Successful Three-Day Meeting in Sassari
The DRYAD consortium gathered for its first General Assembly (GA) from September 30th to October 2nd at the University of Sassari (UNISS) facilities in Sassari, Sardinia. Over three productive days, partners reflected on the project’s progress, discussed ongoing...
Local Stakeholders Evaluate Nature-Based Solutions for the Xiromero Region – DRYAD Greek Regional Workshop
On June 4th, 2025, a regional workshop was held in Astakos, Xiromero (Greece). This event brought together local stakeholders to foster knowledge-transfer on the development and implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Xiromero forest and agroforestry...
DRYAD launches a survey for farmers and stakeholders to select the best nature-based solutions for Mediterranean agroecosystems
Santiago de Compostela Tuesday 22 April 2025. The DRYAD project is inviting farmers and stakeholders to participate in a newly launched survey aimed at selecting the most effective nature-based solutions (NbS) for Mediterranean ecosystems. The survey is available...
DRYAD will promote sustainable and climate-resilient practices and facilitate regional adaptation plans at 8 Mediterranean regions
DRYAD: Demonstration and modelling of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) to enhance the resilience of Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystems and landscapes) is a four-year transdisciplinary research project. The project aims to promote sustainable and...