C4. Restoration of 2250 composition & structure
The purpose of this action is to restore the floristic composition and structure of the Juniperus shrub (habitat 2250*) to a desired state at the Cretan sites of the habitat as determined by actions A.2 and A.3, according to the specifications of action A.8.
The action will include:
a) planting and protection of target, keystone habitat species, including Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa, Juniperus phoenicea and a number of other plant species (both woody and herb) determined as functionally important for the habitat;
b) balancing of the Juniperus male/female population ratio (by planting new male or female individuals, as needed);
c) eradication of possibly invasive, alien plant species.
The exact locations of necessary interventions, the selection of the species, the number of plants planted, the planting design and the desired male/female ratio cannot be determined beforehand, as they depend on the results of actions A.2 and A.3 and the guidelines of action A.8. The planting material as well as the selection of the planting method, e.g. seed sowing or seedling/sapling planting, will be provided by action C.8.
