Greece and other Mediterranean countries suffered during the summer of the year 2007 from devastating wildfires that caused significant losses to several Mediterranean ecosystems, as the black pine (Pinus nigra) forests [priority habitat type *9530 “(Sub-) Mediterranean pine forests with endemic black pines” included in the Annex I of Directive 92/43/EEC]. More specific, on Mount Parnonas [Site of Community Importance (SCI GR2520006) - Oros Parnonas (and Malevi area) of the NATURA 2000 Network], black pine forests used to cover 5.350 ha. The wildfires destroyed a great percentage of the forests’ area (nearly 36%) within the site’s limits.

The burnt areas of the above mentioned habitat type represent the southern most stands of the species on Mount Parnonas, which itself stands in Southeast Peloponnese, one of the drier areas of Greece and Europe, as well. Natural restoration of black pine forests is very precarious due to the special characteristics of the species Pinus nigra. In case that a permanent loss of the species on all or some of the burnt areas occurs, the actual European continental distribution of the habitat type to the south will be affected. Considering this fact, and adding the uncertainty of potential impacts to the distribution of several plant and animal species resulting from climate change, these challenges may be brought to an alarming status.

The occurrence of fire incidents to mountainous ecosystems which are not well adapted to extensive wildfires pose new challenges concerning their conservation and restoration. The LIFE+ project “Restoration of Pinus nigra forests on Mount Parnonas (GR2520006) through a structured approach” addresses the need to restore this habitat type with the demonstration of the application of a structured, scientifically robust step-by-step approach, in order to plan accurately and restore effectively the burnt by the recent fires priority habitat type *9530. The proposed restoration of the target habitat type will, also, contribute to the conservation of the southern distribution limits of the target habitat type in Europe.

Under the LIFE+ Financial Instrument, the Goulandris Natural History Museum/ Greek Biotope Wetland, the Region of Peloponnisos-Forest Service of Sparti, the Management Body of Mount Parnon and Moustos Wetland, and the Region of East Macedonia-Thrace are implementing the LIFE07 NAT/GR/000286 project entitled "Restoration of Pinus Nigra forests on Mount Parnonas (GR2520006) through a structured approach". It will last from 1.1.2009 to 30.6.2013. The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change.