Biodiversity of Albania
For a small country, Albania is characterised by a considerable wealth of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and habitats with contrasting floral, faunal, and fungal species, defined in an area of 28,748 square kilometres.
[1] Apart the diversity of topography and climate, the direct proximity of Albania to the Mediterranean Sea and the significant location within the European continent have created favorable conditions for appearance of a vast array of flora, fauna and funga with an immense quality, which led the country to be recognised as an important biodiversity hotspot in the continent.
[8][9][10][11][12] The country of Albania is part of the Boreal Kingdom and stretches specifically within the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region.
There are 12 oak species found in Albania distributed all across the country's territory from north to south, and east to west.
Although black pine dominates and is among the most significant tree species in the country, occupying a surface area of roughly 10.2%.
[24] Silver fir accounts 1.4% of the conifers with 152 square kilometres, commonly found in the slopes and valleys of the mountains and alongside the Albanian Adriatic and Ionian Sea coasts in the west.
These wetlands contain respectively numerous ecological commodities and services but are under an important charge due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization.
Marshes, reed beds and lakes are found in all regions, along with rivers and deltas while wetlands are distributed from the high internally mountainous zone in the southeast to the coastline in the west.
[26] The richest wetland regions are more particularly in the coastal plain along the entire west border of Albania that is shaped by the Adriatic and Ionian Sea.
[28] An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water that form at river mouths and provide unique habitats for migratory bird populations, invertebrates, as well as marine fish, including those that visit to breed.
The major rivers of Albania are the Drin, Vjosa, Mat, Ishëm, Erzen, Shkumbin and Seman that discharges into the eastern Adriatic Sea.
[29][30] Albania features contrasting and different vegetation types, determined mainly by topography, hydrology, climate and geology.
It enjoys a diversity of temperate ecologies, incorporating both deciduous and coniferous forests, wetlands, river deltas, alpine and subalpine pastures and meadows, evergreen and broadleaf bushes, marine and coastal landscapes.
Vast forests of black pine, beech and fir are found on higher mountains and alpine grasslands grow at elevations above 1800 meters.
The geographical location of Albania in combination with its variable and complex climate is responsible for the diverse bird population in the country.
These habitats serve as feeding ground for thousands of migrating birds that travels between Northern Africa and Europe through the Adriatic flyway.
The white-tailed eagle is found wherever there are large bodies of water and takes mainly fish and occasionally other vertebrates.
A dozen species of vultures can be found living in the country mainly in certain parts of gorges, on cliffs, rocks and caves.
[39] Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Albania has a rich marine avifauna with many large and various seabird colonies dotted around its pristine coastline in the west.
For a small country, Albania challenges an important role in maintaining and ensuring the long-term survival of the large carnivores of the western and southern Balkan Peninsula.
[56] The largest family of carnivorous mammals belongs to the otters, badgers, weasels and martens, all of which are found in the country.
The Eurasian otter is found throughout much of the country and healthy populations were localised in rivers and marshes in the northwest and the south.
[67] The common bottlenose dolphin is abundant along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast especially in winter and spring seasons where they come to coastal areas to breed.
[68] Areas to protect the dolphin species were established in Buna River-Velipoja, Karaburun-Sazan, Ksamil Islands, Vjosa-Narta and other places[which?].
Despite the fact that there are no exact studies, Albania ranks among the most important regions in the Balkan Peninsula in terms of reptiles with over thirty-seven species being recorded.
Numerous parts of Albania are protected in accordance with a number of national and international designations due to their natural, historical or cultural value.
[88] Protected areas belong to the most important instruments of conservation which in turn contributes effectively to the maintenance of species, habitats and ecosystems.
Butrint, Divjakë-Karavasta, Karaburun-Sazan, Llogara, Prespa, Shebenik-Jabllanicë, Theth and Valbonë are among the most spectacular national parks of the country.
