Zakynthos island (1167)
Greece, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Nisos Zakynthos
Central coordinates: Latitude: 37.7667, Longitude: 20.6833
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 431
Area of KBA (km2): 336.80251
Protected area coverage (%): 60.74
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The area is dominated by maquis, Pinus forests and agricultural land.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: The site is important for species associated with scrub and coastal areas. Breeding birds include eight of the 21 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Mediterranean biome.
Delineation rationale: 2012-12-17 (BL Secretariat): site area updated from 13600 ha to 33680 ha after addition of seaward extension to the site in October 2012 for the Marine eAtlas.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (80%) | fisheries/aquaculture (5%) | tourism/recreation (10%) | urban/industrial/transport (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 10 | |
| Shrubland | 53 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 18 | |
| Forest | 13 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 1 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats are from shooting and excessive tourism development. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.