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Nature
Geology
The anaglyph of the area is a result of the peculiar geological processes and the variety of its rocks. The limestone rocks of the mountain zone are interrupted abruptly in order to be successed by soft argils and marls. This is the border between the low land and the mountainous zone. This area is characterized as a breach by geologists. The flat limestone walls of the breaches, commonly known as “laundresses”, are obvious in various areas, such as Tylisos and Krousonas. The hill of Profitis Elias at the north side near Gonies village has an important peculiarity. Successively, the one on top of the other, all the types of the Cretan rocks are presented, as if someone created a small exhibition for the visitor. Red horn stones interchange with flesh-colored bluestones and greenish lavas of old volcanoes. The soft sediments of the lowland zone are rich in fossils, corals, sea urchins, snails, shark’s teeth, limpets and small fish, challenging the visitor to discover the rock’s secrets. They pop out on top of the mountains’ small plateaus in between the crests, adding small green touches at the grey of the rocks. At the route from Krousonas to Psiloritis in Livadi village, the visitor will come across small gardens with fruit trees, at Evdomos village near Gonies, sheep and goats grazing in between the Kermes oaks, while if lucky, at Stroumpoula one can admire the proud galloping of the horses that are often practicing with their riders. Equally beautiful are the small gorges that cross the mountain areas. The gorge of Gonies transfers the visitor to the beautiful valley of Sklavokampos, while the gorge of Agia Irene at Krousonas impresses with its wildness. The water of the rain and the snow has dug the limestone rocks, leaving behind numerous swallow holes and precipices. One of the most impressive gorges is the one called “Voulismeno Aloni” at the road towards Stroumpoula village. It is a crater that was created from the collapse of the roof of a cave. All along the mountain area there are small or big caves that meet everyone’s needs. The caves of Doksa before Marathos and Chainospilios at Kamari village are accessible. On the other hand, Arkalospilios cave at Marathos, Kalimari cave at Tylisos, Spiliara at Astyraki and Chonos at Sarchos villages are some of the biggest caves in Greece and require special knowledge of speleology in order to be accessed.
Flora
The flora of Malevizi is characteristic of the small altitudes. At the low land of the residential areas, olive groves and vineyards prevail. Vegetation that benefits from the human intervention (human friendly) such as crown daisies (Chrysanthemum coronarium) and soursobs (Oxalis pes-caprae) make their presence in the fields. During the past, in the area of Gonies village, there have been recorded examples of worshipping of tree species that still exist, such as osiers (Vitex agnus-castus in the bocage called “Ligies of Panagia”) and acorns (Quercus pubescens), while the nearest village Astyraki, took its name from one of the most beautiful plants called Styrax officinalis that still grows in the area. Further down, at the glacis of the gorge of Gonies, the visitor can collect oregano (Origanum onites) and admire the herb called Staehelina petiolata, the Centaurea argentea and the endemic Cretan ebony (Ebenus cretica). During winter cyclamens (Cyclamen graecum) grow everywhere. At north, in the seemingly naked hill of Stroumpoula, various bulbed plants such as lilies of the field (Sternbergia lutea), cyclamens (Cyclamen creticum), and colchicums (Colchicum sp.) are trying to protect themselves from the grazing that grows underneath bristly bushes, such as Genista acanthoclada (urchin’s feet) and burnets (Sarcopoterium spinosum). Ascending towards the village of Krousonas, at the banks of the road, locust trees (Ceratonia siliqua), Kermes oaks (Quercus coccifera) and maples (Acer sempervirens), are interchanging with barberries (Berberis cretica), the Greek spiny spurges (Euphorbia acanthothamnos) and spiny booms (Calicotome villosa), while in between them impressive sea squills (Drimia maritima), grow asphodels (Asphodelus aestivus) and orchids (Orchis sp.). The road ends up to one of the most beautiful and relatively unknown Kermes oak forests of the municipality called “Vromonero”.
Fauna
The site of this area in the middle of the island in combination with the smooth glacis of Psiloritis, the important water biotope of Almiros and the dense brushes, create a miniature of the island in the area of Malevizi. It seems as if this place has everything! Representatives not only from the mountainous fauna of the plateaus, the lowland brushes or the forests and the caves but also the residents of the sweet or brackish waters of the island are all gathered here. The wetland of Almiros hosts eels, mullets, spotted basses, slimes and atherines while the three species of the Cretan amphibians are represented: The tree frog (Hyla arborea cretensis), the green frog (Bufo viridis) and the Cretan frog (Rana cretensis). Also, there are six species that are common in the area: snippets (Tarentola mauritanica), grass snakes (Natrix tessellata), ocellated skinks (Chalcides ocellatus), the snake called Columber gemonensis, Balkan green lizards (Lacerta trilineata) and probably the most dense population of the Balkan terrapin (water turtle) (Mauremys rivulata) in the island. The wetland is of extreme importance when it comes to bird migration. At least 175 species have been observed during this sensitive period, while it seems that 30 of these are nesting in the wetland. Among the big raptor birds, special in the area is the impressive colony of carrion buzzards at Keri, while in the route of the old national road of Heraklion and Rethymnon one can easily observe a big variety of the raptor birds of Crete. Apart from the common mammals that are characterized by large populations at Malevizi (ferrets, mice, forest mice, hedgehogs and weasels), of particular importance is the presence of the tiny endemic shrew (Crocidura zimmermanni), one of the most rare insectivores, which is smaller than a common baby mouse. The biovariety of the caves is very large in the province of Malevizi due to the particular karstic wealth (over 125 caves and 65 precipices have been found in the area). Some of these (such as “Chonos” of Sarchos village) gather several protected species of bats but also endemic forms of blind, cave living invertebrates.
