THE URBAN FOREST LANDSCAPE OF ATHENS, GREECE: ASPECTS OF STRUCTURE, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the composition of the Athens urban forest and how it was being managed. Seven neighbourhoods in the Athens metropolitan area were sampled to study the structure of the urban forest. Species composition, diameter class, land-use, and tree condition were recorded. Although species diversity in older neighborhoods was higher, over 50% of the area sampled was composed of five species. More than 50% of the trees were under 7.6 cm with nearly 20% over 15.5 cm. Recent plantings of small diameter trees in areas with limited growing space differ from the larger diameter species surviving from earlier planting eras. City history is an important factor influencing the urban forest structure. While aspects of the city culture and tradition have been important in creating the contemporary urban forest landscape, rapid development and intense land uses in many areas now govern its future status. The fragmentation of local government into many units, and the division of responsibility over several national Ministries limits urban forest management. The 1979 Forest Preservation Decree (P.L. 998) sets strict guidelines on the removal of all trees, but its effects are primarily felt on the rural fringe of the metropolitan area.