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Sunday, 22 December 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-02-09Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Rare Pinus peuce white pine forests in Voras, Rodopi mountain rangesThe Voras and Rodopi mountain ranges have every reason to pride themselves on their magnificant fauna and flora, including forests of the rare Balkans-endemic five-needle white pine tree Pinus Peuce (Molika Pine), two of the just 17 such forests in the entire Balkans.The molika pine is an autochthonous taxa of five-needle pine originating from the Tertiary Period, and Mt. Voras, the third highest mountain in Greece, has relics of an ancient Pinus peuce forest dating back to the Ice Age, while another remarkable feature are several expanses of aged chestnut woods and abandoned cherry, apple and cereal cultivations that form a beautiful landscape and important wildlife habitat. The Pinus peuce forest expanses are of great ecological, historic and aesthetic value, and comprise one of the most important forest systems in Europe, and have been declared protected nature monuments. The Pinus peuce pine differs from all other pine taxa in that it is the only taxa to have five-needle leaves, compared with the two-needle leaves of all other pines, and is strictly protected under Greek legislation. The two forests are home to important and endangered species of wild goat, deer, bear and boar, and dozens of rare bird species. All activity, except scientific study, is prohibited in the two forests. [02] ASE opening: RiseEquity prices were rising at the opening of trade on Tuesday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), with the basic share price index up 2.56 percent, standing at 1,852.62 points at 11:15 a.m., and turnover at 43,271 million euros.The biggest gains were in Construction, up 1.92 percent and Banks, up 1.72 percent. The biggest losses were in Health, down 1.61 percent; and Insurance, down 0.91 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 2.13 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 1.42 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.82 percent. Of the stocks moved, 47 were up, 33 were down, and 29 were unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |