Exploring the unique agro-ecosystems of Lemnos, Greece, Lina Rinne shares her journey from fieldwork to publication in the journal Vegetation Classification Survey. Alongside Erwin Bergmeier and Stefan Meyer, she reflects on her 2024 field trip and how it led to a 2025 publication.
Guest blog post by Lina Rinne
I first encountered Lemnos during a university field trip in 2024 while I was still a master’s student. At the time, I questioned Erwin’s and Stefan’s choice of destination – why not go to a more popular island like Crete? However, after two visits to Lemnos, I can confidently say that this island is truly special. as my very first scientific publication focuses on this island – which was also selected as an Editors’ Choice paper in the last quarter of 2025 – Lemnos will always hold a special place in my heart.
The path towards that publication was far from straightforward. Thankfully, my supervisors and co-authors Erwin and Stefan were there to support me throughout the entire process.
Erwin Bergmeier and Stefan Meyer are well-known researchers in arable plant diversity within Greece, Germany, and beyond. They have been involved in numerous projects over the years and possess extensive knowledge about arable fields,their plant species,and communities.
Their work on Lemnos began in 2018 as part of the Terra Lemnia project, a local initiative established by the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA). The project aims to understand and preserve the island’s arable plant diversity, as well as support farmers in maintaining less intensive, “
Wow, what an incredible opportunity to experience such a beautiful place for academic research!