Research outputs
Databases
Kati V, Kassara C, Psaralexi M, Tzortzakaki O, Petridou M, Galani A, Hoffmann M. 2020. The roadless map of Greece. Mendeley Data, v1.
The dataset presents the roadless areas (RAs) of Greece (2/2020) in kmz format (Google Earth). RAs are defined as those land patches of a size greater than 1 sq.km that are at least 1 km away from the nearest road. The dataset pinpoints the 1.115 RAs, accounting for 4.99% of the Greek land. The map includes high and medium confidence data. Red polygons indicate the RAs with an area ≥50 sq.km (high confidence data). They cover 0.51% of the Greek land and are located in six remote mountains: Lefka Ori, Timfi, Olympos, Taygetos, Saos, and Smolikas. The present database is the output of ROADLESS project. It is linked to the publication Kati et al (2020: Biol Cons) and it was used by the Greek government to set up the “untrodden mountain” legislation, offering protection to all large roadless areas (apart from Olympos that is protected under a recent Presidential Decree), plus a smaller roadless area (Hatzi mountain). Orange polygons indicated the RAs with an area 1-50 sq.km and are of medium confidence, because their roads are not fully digitized. This version is not used any more. It is replaced with the v2 (2022) where all data are of high confidence.
Kati V.,Kapsalis, E.2020. Bird communities in the sacred groves of Epirus, Greece. Mendeley Data, v1.
Kati, V., Willemse, L. 2020. “Database of endemic and/or threatened Orthoptera species in the Natura 2000 sites of Greece.”, Mendeley Data, v1.
Kati, V., Kassara, Ch. 2020. Sustainable spatial planning for windfarms in Greece. Mendeley Data, v1
The database consists of three spatial layers: (a) The investment zone (41.4% of Greek land): it includes the three most fragmented zones (very high, high and medium) according to the Landscape Fragmentation Indicator (2015), of the territory outside the terrestrial part of the Natura 2000. (b) The windfarm-free zone (58.6% of Greek land): it includes the terrestrial part of the Natura 2000 network and the two least fragmented zones (very low and low) outside the network. (c) Windfarm sites (2020): 260 applications of operating windfarms (red polygons) and 1578 applications of windfarms in other permission stages (black polygons).
Kassara C., Petridou M., Tzortzakaki O., Papantoniou E., Galani A., Psaralexi M., Gkotsis D., Papaioannou H., Kati V. 2022. The roadless map of Greece. Mendeley Data, v2.
Περιγραφή: Η βάση δεδομένων παρουσιάζει τις περιοχές χωρίς δρόμους της Ελλάδας (5/2022) σε μορφή kmz (Google Earth). Ως Περιοχή Άνευ Δρόμων ορίζεται κάθε χερσαία τμήμα με μέγεθος μεγαλύτερο από 1 τ.χλμ. που απέχει τουλάχιστον 1 χλμ. από τον πλησιέστερο δρόμο. Ο χάρτης παρουσιάζει τις 389 ΠΑΔ της Ελλάδας (Roadless_Areas_WGS84.kmz) ανάλογα με το μέγεθός τους (1-10 τχλμ, 10-50 τχλμ και πάνω από 50 τχλμ). Ως Αδιατάρακτη Φυσική Περιοχή (ΑΦΠ) ορίζεται κάθε ΠΑΔ με την περιφερειακή της ζώνη ενός χιλιομέτρου. Πρακτικά η ΑΦΠ είναι κάθε χερσαία περιοχή άνω των 2 τ.χλμ. χωρίς δρόμους, είτε αυτή βρίσκεται στην ηπειρωτική, είτε στη νησιωτική χώρα. Κάθε ΑΦΠ περιλαμβάνει μία ΠΑΔ. Ο χάρτης παρουσιάζει τις αντίστοιχες 389 ΑΦΠ της Ελλάδας (Undisturbed_Natural_Areas_WGS84). Νησιωτική Αδιατάρακτη Φυσική Περιοχή ή Νησί Άνευ Δρόμων ορίζεται κάθε νησί που δεν έχει καθόλου δρόμους σε όλη την έκτασή του, ανεξάρτητα από το μέγεθός του. Ο χάρτης παρουσιάζει τα 3518 νησιά χωρίς δρόμους της Ελλάδας (Roadless islands). Σημειώνεται πως ο χάρτης περιλαμβάνει και τις 6 περιοχές που θεσμοθετήθηκαν ως ΠΑΔ. Το αρχείο “File contents” περιέχει επεξηγήσεις των πεδίων που φαίνονται στο χάρτη. Είναι ο πλήρης εθνικός χάρτης των περιοχών χωρίς δρόμους της Ελλάδας και μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί με αξιοπιστία.
Kati, V., Kassara, Ch., Stefanidis, A. 2026. Sustainable spatial planning for windfarms in Greece. Mendeley Data, v4
The database includes three spatial layers: (a) exclusion zone (“green zone”; 59% of Greek land), (b) potential investment zone (“blue zone”; 41%), and (c) onshore wind turbines as point data (12,547 turbines as of 15/01/2025). The green zone (windfarm-free) comprises: (i) the terrestrial Natura 2000 network, (ii) the two least fragmented landscape classes (very low and low LFI; seff <10) outside Natura 2000, (iii) all roadless areas ≥5 km², and (iv) roadless islands and islets. The blue zone includes the remaining terrestrial areas outside Natura 2000 with higher fragmentation. All layers are in WGS84. Wind energy investments in the potential investment zone can satisfy and exceed by far the national target for wind harnessing of 2050.
This database (v4) is linked to Stefanidis, A., and Kati, V. (2026) Wind energy infrastructures drive habitat loss and fragmentation for threatened Orthoptera: spatial planning needed in developed landscapes. Biodivers Conserv 35, 151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-026-03352-6
The database supports Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for RES and broader spatial planning (e.g. energy, transport, tourism). It provides a horizontal planning guideline and does not replace Environmental Impact Assessments, Appropriate Assessments, or wildlife sensitivity maps. Intended users include investors, policymakers, authorities, NGOs, and the public. Minor spatial deviations may occur, particularly in insular areas, due to coastline mismatches among input datasets, including the roadless map used in v4.
Note that the potential investment zone is overestimated for Greek islands, due to overestimation of the seff values of Landscape Fragmentation Index (LFI), which is provided by the European Environmental Agency. This index considers the marine environment a barrier for free animal movement (as artificial/sealed surfaces). Results should be interpreted with caution for small islands due to this technical inherent problem of the EEA index.
The database updates the previous database (v.1)