Faculty Staff / Section of Plant Biology
Associate Professor of Flora and Phytogeography
Office location: 1st floor, BM 111
Email: mpanitsa@upatras.gr
Telephone: +30 2610 969238
References:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/M-Panitsa
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2388-3400

Curriculum vitae

Education

  • Post-graduate at the Botanical Institute, Department of Biology, Univ.of Patras. (1989)
  • PhD, Department of Biology, University of Patras (1997)

Educational activities

Courses:

  • Undergraduate courses at the Department of Biology: i) Plant Biology I, ii) Plant Biology II, iii) Biogeography, iv) Biodiversity and Conservation Biology.
  • Postgraduate courses at the Department of Biology: i) Biodiversity Assessment and Bio-monitoring of species & habitats, ii) Environmental Planning and Management of Natural Areas.

Supervisions:

  • Supervision of 3 PhD, 12 MSc and 29 undergraduate theses.

Research interests

  • Analysis, description, monitoring and assessment of plant taxa, plant communities and habitats diversity
  • Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic plant diversity
  • Mediterranean flora and vegetation
  • Island biogeography, structure, dynamics, conservation and management of island ecosystems and habitat islands
  • Citizen science and sustainable development
  • Structure, dynamics, conservation and management of Mediterranean ecosystems
  • Monitoring and assessment of plants’ and habitat types’ conservation status in protected areas
  • Conservation and management of the plant species, habitat types and ecosystems
  • Plant diversity of cultural and urban areas

Representative Publications

  • Panitsa, M.*, Trigas, P., Kontakos, D., Valli, A.T, Iatrou, Gr. (2021). Natural and cultural heritage interaction: aspects of plant diversity in three East Peloponnesian castles (Greece) and conservation evaluation. Plant Biosystems – An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2021.1889701.
  • Panitsa, M.*, Kokkoris, I.P., Kougioumoutzis, K., Kontopanou, A., Bazos, I., Strid, A., Dimopoulos P. (2021). Linking Taxonomic, Phylogenetic and Functional Plant Diversity with Ecosystem Services of Cliffs and Screes in Greece. Plants 10(5), 992; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050992
  • Panitsa, M.*, Iliopoulou, N., Petrakis, E. (2021). Citizen Science, Plant Species, and Communities’ Diversity and Conservation on a Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve. Sustainability 13 (17) 9925; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179925
  • Kougioumoutzis, K., Kokkoris, I.P., Panitsa, M., Strid, A., Dimopoulos, P. (2021). Extinction Risk Assessment of the Greek Endemic Flora. Biology 10 (10): 195; https:// doi.org/10.3390/biology10030195.
  • Kontopanou, A. & Panitsa* (2020). Habitat Islands on the Aegean Islands (Greece): Elevational Gradient of Chasmophytic Diversity, Endemism, Phytogeographical Patterns and need for Monitoring and Conservation. Diversity 12(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12010033
  • Papanikolaou, A. & Panitsa* (2020). Plant species richness and composition of a habitat island within Lake Kastoria and comparison with those of a true island within the protected Pamvotis lake (NW Greece). Biodiversity Data Journal 8: e48704. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.8.e48704
  • Panitsa M*., Iliadou E., Kokkoris I., Kallimanis A., Patelodimou C., Strid A., Raus T., Bergmeier E., Dimopoulos P. (2020). Distribution patterns of ruderal plant diversity in Greece. Biodiversity and Conservation https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-019-01915-4
  • Kougioumoutzis, K., Kokkoris, I.P., Panitsa, M., Trigas, P., Strid, A., Dimopoulos, P. (2020). Plant Diversity Patterns and Conservation Implications under Climate-Change Scenarios in the Mediterranean: The Case of Crete (Aegean, Greece). Diversity12, 270.
  • Sarika M, Papanikolaou A, Yannitsaros A, Chitos T, Panitsa M.* (2019). Temporal turnover of the flora of lake islands: The island of Lake Pamvotis (Epirus, Greece). Biodiversity Data Journal 7: e37023. DOI:10.3897/BDJ.7. e 37023.
  • Tzortzakaki, O., Kati, V., Panitsa, M., Tzanatos, E. & S. Giokas (2019). Butterfly diversity patterns are related to the surrounding land cover in a densely- built Mediterranean city. Landscape and Urban Planning 183:79-87.
  • Zakkak, , Radovic, A., Panitsa, M., Vassilev, K., Shuka, L., Kuttner, M., Schindler, S. &V. Kati (2018). Vegetation patterns along agricultural land abandonment in the Balkans. Journal of Vegetation Science DOI: 10.1111/jvs.12670.
  • Panitsa, M*. & Kontopanou, A. (2017). Chasmophytic plant species diversity of Greece: floristic analysis and phytogeographical patterns. Botanica Serbica 41(2): 199-211.
  • Kallimanis, A.S., Panitsa, M. & Dimopoulos, P. (2017). Quality of non-expert citizen science data collected for habitat type conservation status assessment in Natura 2000 protected areas. Scientific Reports. DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-09316-9.
  • Trigas P., Panitsa M., & Tsiftsis S. (2013). Elevational Gradient of Vascular Plant Species Richness and Endemism in Crete – The Effect of Post-Isolation Mountain Uplift on a Continental Island System. PLOS ONE, 8(3): e59425. doi:10.1371.
  • Sfenthourakis S. & Panitsa M. (2012). From plots to islands: species diversity at different scales. Journal of Biogeography, 39 (4): 750–759.
  • Panitsa M.*,Koutsias N., Tsiripidis I., Zotos A., Dimopoulos P. (2011). Species-based versus habitat-based evaluation for conservation status assessment of habitat types in the East Aegean islands (Greece). Journal for Nature Conservation, 19: 269-275.
  • Panitsa M.*,Trigas P., Iatrou G. & Sfenthourakis S. (2010). Factors affecting plant species richness and endemism on land-bridge islands – an example from the East Aegean archipelago. Acta Oecologica – International Journal of Ecology, 36:431-437.