Uploaded on 2016-12-22 by Napoleon Papadakis

1. Ecosystem services in your living area A. Provisioning services a1/ Aquaculture Facilities (fish farming) in Symi Island, SE Aegean Sea (provisioning service: FOOD) Main Species Produced Gilthead (sea) bream (Sparus Aurata) and Seabass (Dicentrarchus Labrax) a2/ Yali Island, SE Aegean, Greece (areal view in photo) (provisioning service: RAW MATERIAL for building/manufacturing industry) Yali is the Greek word for “glass”. The Island is located in the southeastern Aegean Sea near to Rhodes. The whole island is a quarry area as it is composed of volcanic rocks. The southwestern part of the island is composed of thick layers of pumice which has been exploited since 1956. The northeastern part is composed entirely of thick natural streams of glass (obsidian and perlite). Perlite and pumice are widely used in the construction industry worldwide. B. Regulating services Aegean Sea, Greece (regulating service: waste water treatment) The urban sewage of the island of Rhodes (~350.000 design population equivalent) after the biological treatment ends up into the Aegean Sea through underwater pipelines which outflow it offshore. C. Habitat or Supporting services Valley of Butterflies, Rhodes Island, Greece (habitat service: Habitats for species, reproduction of migratory butterflies) In the western side of the island of Rhodes lies the Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes). During August, thousands of butterflies of the genus Panaxia (species Quadripunctaria Poda) overwhelm the valley in order to reproduce. During the rainy period, the Butterflies in the caterpillar stage remain in the Mediterranean thicket (arbutus, myrtle and rush) feeding on the foliage. As the end of the wet season approaches, towards the end of May, the final stage is concluded and the butterfly makes her appearance in the form recognizable to all. They move constantly towards areas of highest humidity is greatest, always following the "water ways", as the dry period progresses, they finally arrive at the valley. D. Cultural services Underwater Tourism, Rhodes Island, Greece (cultural service: Eco-tourism) Over than 220 km of coastline with different geomorphology provides divers with many different types of marine habitats, full of colorful yet harmless marine life. Impressive underwater caves and caverns remind the volcanic history of the island while reef parts in different depths and orientations keep lots of different marine species and often welcome ocean visitors such as tuna fish, seals, turtles etc.