The biogeographic characteristics of the river Basins of Greece

Abstract

Biogeographic regionalizations provide frameworks for a holistic understanding of river basin areas and their inland water ecosystems. Here we employ the freshwater ecoregion concept to outline biogeographic aspects of the aquatic and semiaquatic biota and river ecosystems in Greece. Emphasis is given to freshwater fishes which cannot readily disperse over mountain watershed barriers and marine areas; they are utilized as primary biogeographic indicators. Although various biogeographic regionalization maps are surveyed, the Freshwater Ecoregions of the World (FEOW) initiative is adopted, and this review helps redefine certain recently published ecoregional boundaries in Greece. Along with freshwater fishes, other animal and plant distributions and knowledge of geological history and climatic patterns help guide the boundary definition of eight freshwater ecoregions in Greece. Gaps in knowledge concerning species distributions and taxonomy as well as the biogeographic understanding of each freshwater ecoregion are assessed.