Regional Biodiversity and Action Plan of the South-East planning region “Common plans for biodiversity conservation and sustainable targets for the development of a bilateral network of protected areas - COMBINE2PROTECT” Project co-funded by the European Union and national funds of the participating countries 2020 Implementer: Centrefor Development of South-East Planning Region The Regional Biodiversity Strategy with Action Plan of the South-East Planning Region is realized within the project ‘'Common plans for biodiversity conservation and sustainable targets for the development of a bilateral network of protected areas - COMBINE2PROTECT” within the INTERREG IPA CBC Programme between Greece and Republic of North Macedonia. The project is co-financed by the European Union and the National Funds of the participating countries The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, the participating countries and the Managing Authority. CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE .............................................................................. 8 1.2. GLOBAL AND NATIONAL STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PRESERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ........ 8 1.2.1. NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR BOLOGICAL DIVERSITY – OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTH EAST PLANNING REGION ............................................................................................................................... 8 1.2.2. 2050 THE VISION OF ‘’LIVING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE’’ – AFTER 2020 - GLOBAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ..................................................................................... 9 1.2.3. „CLIMATE NEUTRAL EU“ – STRATIGIC PLAN FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY PROTECTION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 2021-2030 2. METHODOLOGY OF PREPARATION OF THE STRATEGY ........................................................................... 10 3. BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOUTH EAST REGION ......................................................................... 12 3.1. NATURAL GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOUTH-EAST REGION ............................. 12 3.1.1. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ................................................................................................ 12 3.1.2. BORDERS ............................................................................................................................ 14 3.1.3. TERITORY SIZE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION ..................................................... 15 3.1.4. RELIEF ................................................................................................................................. 17 3.1.5. CLIMATE ............................................................................................................................. 36 3.1.6. HYDROGRAPHY ................................................................................................................... 40 3.1.7. PEDOLOGICAL COMPOSITION ............................................................................................ 52 3.2. SOCIO-GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF THE REGION ........................................................................ 54 3.2.1. POPULATION ...................................................................................................................... 54 3.2.2.SETTLEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 58 3.3. ECONOMIC-GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................... 64 4. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ........................................................................................................................... 69 4.1 SPECIES DIVERSITY ........................................................................................................................ 70 4.1.1. ALGAE DIVERSITY ................................................................................................................ 70 4.1.2. FUNGI DIVERSITY ................................................................................................................ 72 4.1.3. PLANT DIVERSITY ................................................................................................................ 74 4.1.4. DIVERSITY OF FAUNA ......................................................................................................... 78 4.2. ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY .............................................................................................................. 111 4.2.1. Habitat types .................................................................................................................... 111 4.3. AGROBIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ..................................................................................................... 145 4.3.1. Plant agrobiological diversity ........................................................................................... 145 4.3.2. Biodiversity in domestic animals ...................................................................................... 148 LOSS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ............................................................................................................... 157 5.1. Major threats to biodiversity and recommendations for biodiversity protection .................... 157 5.1.1 Algae .................................................................................................................................. 157 5.1.2 Fungi .................................................................................................................................. 158 5.1.3 Plants ................................................................................................................................. 159 5.1.4 Invertebrates ..................................................................................................................... 162 5.2. Key sectors affecting the biological diversity ............................................................................. 174 5.2.1. Hunting ............................................................................................................................. 174 5.2.2. Invasive, allochthonous and genetic modified organisms ............................................... 175 5.2.2.1. Algae– allochthonous and invasive species .................................................................. 176 5.2.2.2. Fungi – allochthonous and invasive species .................................................................. 176 5.2.2.3. Plants – allochthonous and invasive species................................................................. 176 5.2.2.4. Aquatic invertebrates - allochthonous and invasive species ........................................ 176 5.2.2.5. Terrestrial invertebrates – allochthonous and invasive species ................................... 177 5.2.2.6. Fish species - allochthonous and invasive species ........................................................ 178 5.2.2.7. Amphibia and reptiles – allochthonous and invasive species ....................................... 180 5.2.2.8. Mammals – allochthonous and invasive species .......................................................... 180 5.2.2.9. Agrobiological diversity – disappearance of autochthonous varieties ......................... 181 5.2.3. Climate change and desertification ........................................................................................ 182 6. VALORISATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ........................................................................................... 182 6.1 Endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species .......................................................................... 185 6.1.1. Algae – endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ................................................... 185 6.1.2. Fungi - endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species .................................................... 185 6.1.3. Plants - endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ................................................... 186 6.1.4. Aquatic invertebrates - endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ......................... 186 6.1.5. Terrestrial invertebrates - endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ..................... 188 6.1.6. Amphibians and reptiles - endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ..................... 188 6.1.7. Birds- endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ..................................................... 189 6.1.8. Mammals - endemic, rare, threatened and extinct species ............................................ 189 6.2. Protected Areas ......................................................................................................................... 192 6.2.1. National Network on Protected Areas ............................................................................. 192 6.2.2. International protected and proclaimed areas ................................................................ 195 6.3. Ecological Networks ........................................................................................................................... 197 7. MONITORING ........................................................................................................................................ 198 7.1. Biodiversity monitoring.............................................................................................................