The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity: The Ecological Consequences of Invasive Species in Greece

It is a fact that the geographical position of Greece is in the boundaries of three continents. Its complex geological history and its large topographic heterogeneity is characterized by complex terrain, extensive fallow fragmentation, large number of caves, huge coastline and relatively mild human intervention. Due to all of the above Greece is characterized by its great biodiversity. The most serious consequences of climate change can be detected in biological diversity, which can be influenced by a combination of direct effects on organisms. It is a fact that temperature affects the survival rates and the reproductive success. Also there are indirect effects via biotic interactions, like the allocation of the competitive advantage. On the other hand, there are effects in the change of the abiotic parameters (e.g. flooding’s, changes in ocean currents and other). Due to all of the above, Greece serves as a barometer, as firstly the significant increase in temperature and the reduction in rainfall, positions the country in the heart of climate developments. This paper presents a thorough study of the climate change impact on the biodiversity of ecosystems. More specifically, it is presented a spatiotemporal analysis and recording of the invasion of invasive species in the flora and fauna of the Greek territory. Another important aspect of this research is modeling of the future impacts based on the most probable climate change scenarios.