INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL "MECHANIZATION IN AGRICULTURE & CONSERVING OF THE RESOURCES" WEB ISSN 2603-3712; PRINT ISSN 2603-3704 Balkan endemic plants of Shutman Strict Nature Reserve in Kosovo - an inventory with chorological and life-form analyses Haxhi Halilaj1, Lirika Kupe1,*, Xhavit Mala2 Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania 1 Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Kosovo2
[email protected] Abstract: Balkan endemic taxa are those whose distribution is restricted exclusively to the Balkan Peninsula. The aim of the present study is to determine the number of the Balkan endemic taxa in Shutman Strict Nature Reserve in Kosovo and to presented chorological groups and life-form categories of this flora. In the investigated area are recorded 67 Balkan endemic and sub-endemic species and subspecies. The most important contributors at family rank in the Balkan endemic taxa are Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Brassicaceae, Campanulaceae and Rosaceae, while the richest genuses are Silene, Achillea and Campanula. In the chorological structure of the of the Balkan endemics the largest numbers are from the Balkan, S European and C European chorological groups, while in the life-form spectrum of the flora hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes are the most abundant. The data of the study showed that Reserve of Shutman has a very high level of endemic species. This fact shows that Shutman Reserve is an important center of the Balkan endemic flora in the Kosovo and the Balkan Peninsula and the existence of a rich endemic flora is of great importance in the conservation of biodiversity in this area. Keywords: BALKAN PENINSULA, KOSOVO, FLORA, ENDEMIC TAXA, CHOROLOGY, LIFE FORM.