Website of K. Georghiou

CYPRUS FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

NICOSIA, 2007

The Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus presents the results of a four-year- long research project, which was funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation. The book presents the assessment of all the rare indigenous plants of Cyprus according to the IUCN Red List Criteria and Categories (version 3.1), and provides important information on their conservation status and biology.

The Red Data Book, which covers the entire island including the occupied part, is a pioneer work. It is the first systematic and collective effort for plant assessment, based on extensive research into the relevant extant sources, and on the data collected during 36 months of fieldwork. As such, we anticipate it will be a milestone in biodiversity conservation in Cyprus, despite the inescapable omissions or mistakes.

We regard this book not as an end but as a starting point for further research. Our expectation is that it will provide a baseline for the continual monitoring and revision of the status of threatened plants of Cyprus and will be an indispensable tool for conservation efforts of the island’s indigenous flora.

The Red Data Book reflects the commitment and dedication of many people, including nearly all those currently working on the island’s flora. Contributions took many forms, from direct involvement in all phases of the project, to the provision of useful data on the distribution of rare plants, and comments on the draft texts.

The project would not have been possible without the financial support of the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus, to whom we express our sincere gratitude. We are especially grateful to the responsible officer of the Foundation, Ms Leda Themistou, for her kind support and understanding throughout the project. For encouraging their departments to participate in the project, we are also greatly indebted to Mr. Aristos Ioannou, Director of the Department of Forests and President of the Cyprus Forestry Association; Mr. Ioannis Papadopoulos, Director of the Agriculture Research Institute; Mr. Nicos Georgiadis, Director of the Environment Service.

Our warmest appreciation is also expressed to the following:

• Georgios Hadjikyriakou, who allowed us access to his personal data files and herbarium, gave us invaluable input on the texts of all taxa, and generously provided us with photographs.
• All the authors of the Red Data Book, and especially the independent researchers Thomas Hadjikyriakou, Christodoulos Makris, Yiannis Christofides, Yiannos Orphanos, Kyriacos Kefalas, Efhimios Efthimiou, Mamas Dimitriou, Christos Charalambous, Andreas Dimitropoulos, Aristidis Katsos and Andreas Kyriacou, who willingly shared with us their knowledge of rare plants.
• Robert Desmond Meikle, author of the Flora of Cyprus, who shared with us his notes taken during his various botanical expeditions on the island, and who has honoured us by writing a foreword to the book.
• The overseas researchers Ralf Hand, Gabriel Alziar, Peter Boyce, Richard Wilford and Rachel King, who provided information on rare plants, whose expertise helped us clarify questionable issues, and who willingly transferred data from European herbaria.
• Andreas Antoniou, for his careful and professional work on GIS and mapping.
• Marina Xenophontos, for her study and fieldwork of some Troodos plants.
• Alekos Christodoulou, for his kind cooperation as representative of the Forestry Department.
• Eleni Iakovidou McLoughlin, who provided the beautiful colour illustrations of some of the endemic threatened taxa.
• Jeanne and Tim Webb, who very kindly enabled our email communication with Desmond Meikle.
• George Simonis, who designed the book; and Maria Nicolaou-Prodromou, who undertook the typesetting with enormous patience throughout the prolonged amending of texts.
• The Chr. Nicolaou & Sons Ltd printing company, for their cooperation and professionalism.
• Georgios Hadjikostis, for editorial advice on the Greek texts.
• Andreas Christodoulidis, for insightful comments on the Greek texts.
• Kathleen Stephanides, for editorial advice on the English texts.
• The Secretary of the Cyprus Forestry Association, Charalambos Constantinou, for his invaluable support.
• The foresters Savvas Kazafaniotis, Nicos Kasinos, Andreas Nearchou, Minas Papadopoulos, Erodotos Kakouris and Haris Nicolaou, for cross-checking references and reading the manuscripts.
• Our families, for their understanding and continuous support during the work on this book.
• The many others who lent their support and contributed in numerous and varied ways to this project.

The Editors

Red Data Book | Aim | Cyprinia | Fieldwork | Results | Presentation and Description of Plants