Site Visits - Habitats and Flora
For the identification of habitats in the Project site, the "Manual for the Identification and Mapping of Habitats listed in Annex I Directive 92/43/EEC in Cyprus" is used. Habitat identification requires visiting the Project sites during specific periods when environmental conditions are optimal for each habitat listed in the manual. After surveying the Project site’s ecology, including the identification of wildlife habitats, a habitat map is produced.
The identification and recording of plant species in the field is conducted using the simple random sampling method. Sampling points are created automatically through Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, where the distance between points is defined according to the size of the Project site and vegetation type. Line transects are also used when appropriate. For the identification of flora species, a combination of identification keys, national and global databases as well as expert judgement are used. A list of species is then created to present species richness in the Project site.