Wildlife of North Macedonia
A variety of laws protect some species and habitats and regulate their use, and action plans have been developed by the government, covering topics including the environment, biodiversity, and water.
Four national parks have been established, and North Macedonia is party to a number of European and International conventions that relate to wildlife and the environment.
The varied habitats of the country, including both natural and man-made environments, can be divided into 28 broad types,[1] which are further subdivided into 120 at the third level of EUNIS classification.
The remaining 1.649 square kilometres (0.637 sq mi) of the Aegean drainage basin is covered by the Strumica river and its tributaries.
The main river of the 3.359 square kilometres (1.297 sq mi) Adriatic basin is Black Drim, which begins at Lake Ohrid.
[1] Broadleaf tree woodlands, dominated by alder, birch, poplar, and willow species, are some of the country's most endangered habitats.
[5] Plant species that have become locally extinct in North Macedonia include Acorus calamus, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Lysimachia thyrsiflora, Aldrovanda vesiculosa, and Nymphaea alba.
It has been suggested that the discovered number makes up only 62% of the total species present, taking into account the rate of new discoveries, the diversity of habitats, and studies from neighbouring countries.
Of the 14 lice species known, two, Enderleinellus ferrisi and Schizophthirus gliris, are parasites (of European ground squirrels and edible dormice respectively).
Other insect species include 97 Plecoptera (10 of which are endemic), 64 Odonata, 49 Psocoptera, 42 Thysanoptera, five Dermaptera, three Archaeognatha, two Mecoptera, one Strepsiptera (Hylecthrus rubi), and one Zygentoma.
Lake Ohrid is an extensively studied area, and its diversity is reflected in a high number of endemic species.
[1] Lake Prespa is less well studied, but is known to have at over 100 insects, 90 crustaceans, 60 rotifers, 50 flatworms, 36 molluscs (27 of which are snails), 35 annelids, and three sponges.
[1] Caves in the west, especially within the drainage basins of the Radika, Galichica, Jakupica, and Poreche rivers, are thought to have rates of invertebrate endemism of around 90%.
[11] North Macedonia contains 33 pan-European habitat types regarded as endangered under the Bern Convention's Emerald network.
The same network includes 167 species that require specific conservation measures: 7 invertebrates, 13 fish, 3 amphibians, 7 reptiles, 115 birds, 17 mammals, and 5 plants.
[5] The government of North Macedonia has classified threats to biological diversity into 249 items, 17 of which were considered to have a very high priority.
The root causes behind these 17 priority threats include poor policymaking, inconsistent enforcement of laws and regulations, poverty, low public awareness, and climate change.
Eight amphibian species are protected by law, while also falling under the Bern Convention and European Union Habitats directive.
However, most funding comes from external bodies, such as the Global Environment Facility, the European Union (including pre-accession assistance), and bilateral contributions.
[1] Species that have increased in number from low bases of local extirpation include Gentiana pneumonanthe, Ranunculus lingua, Salvinia natans, Nuphar lutea, and Menyanthes trifoliata.
[3] Environmental protection became part of national law for the first time in 1963, under Article 32 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
[3] Most environmental laws are set at a national level, with Assembly of North Macedonia having a commission for transport, communications, and environment.
[3] The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy [mk] also plays a role in ensuring the environment is utilised sustainably.
[1] The country is working to integrate European Union environmental legislation into its national laws, and to meet the Aichi targets.
[1] IUCN Red List classification and methodology is specifically referenced by the Law on Nature Protection of the Republic of North Macedonia ("Official Gazette" no.
This overlap in jurisdiction has complicated ecosystem management, and the implementation of the European Union Acquis communautaire into Macedonian law.
The government is considering establishing a gene bank for native flora, after a previous attempt at Botanical Garden of the Institute of Biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss.
[3] Protected areas have been established in an ad hoc manner, and for a variety of purposes, resulting in no coherent network or strategy.
[3] While these national parks have established management systems, other protected areas lack specific plans and dedicated scientific studies.
[15] 762 wolves, 76 deer, 521 chamois, over 6000 wild boar, over 32,000 rabbits, 252 birds of prey, and 1500 waterfowl were recorded as having been shot between 2003 and 2012.
