Albanian j. agric. sci. 2019; (Special edition) Agricultural University of Tirana RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access) The endemic and relic alpine–subalpine plant species in Shutman natural reserve of Kosovo and their conservation status HAXHI HALILAJ1, LIRIKA KUPE2, AVDYL BAJRAMI1*, XHAVIT MALA3 1PhD candidate, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania 2 Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania 3 Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning -DAPK “Sharri Mountain” Email: [email protected] Abstract On the territory of the Sharri National Park of Kosovo there are 16 strict natural protected areas, one of which is Shutman Reserve. Until now the biodiversity of endemic and relic plants in Shutman has not been completely described. The present study is the first on this subject for the Shutman Reserve. The purpose of the study is to investigate the biodiversity of endemic and relic plant species also their conservation status. The plants were collected during the vegetative period, May – September 2018. In total, in this paper are presented 42 vascular plants. From which, 24 species are Balkan endemics, 2 species are sub-endemics, 2 species are steno-endemics and 1specie is Central and South-eastern Europe endemic. Nearly 12 of Shutman’s investigated vascular plants are tertiary and glacial relics. A total of 24 taxa have a protection status. The biological type of species represented mainly by perennial herbaceous plants (95%). The largest percentage of floristic elements to describe appertain the Balkan type (40.48%) and Boral type (9.52%), whereas the hemi-cryptophytic dominate among the life forms, with 59.52%. The data of the paper showed that Reserve of Shutman has a very high level of endemic and relic species. Keywords: Vascular plants, endangered species, floristic element, life form. Introduction protection on Decision of GRK No. 17/74, 10 February 2016 (GRK, 2016). Kosovo is one of the Balkan countries with The Reserve of Shutman covers an area of the greatest biodiversity, including biodiversity of 5057.39 hectares that consists of a wide mountain belt endemic and relic plants. Sharri Planina is one of the from 1600 m to 2536 m above sea level (Vraca e largest and highest mountain ranges of the Balkan Madhe). The subalpine zone extends above the upper Peninsula, stretching between the Prizren-Metohia forest belt from 1600 - 2100 m (rare 2200 m.) above valley and the Polog valley in the border areas of the sea level (Abdii & Xhulaj, 2016). Higher up is found Kosovo and Republic of North Macedonia. The the alpine zone, where environmental conditions Sharri National Park in Kosovo is located in south- become more extreme due to decreasing temperatures, eastern part of country. It is one the most important increasing solar radiation, strong winds, etc. Balkan and European centers and one of the most Shutman area is dominated by an alpine and qualitative endemism including relics, endemics and continental climate, at times influenced by a median endemic- relics and types (Abdii & Xhulaj, 2016; continental climate (MMPH/AMMK, 2013). The Tomović et al., 2014). Nowadays, on the territory of annual average temperature is 8.6° C. Summers are the Sharri Mountain there are 16 strict natural short and fresh with an average temperature of 18.1° protected areas, one of which is area of high C, with long and relatively cold winters (average mountains "Shutman", putting under natural strict temperature -0.4° C). The annual average precipitation reaches is 1370 mm, with snow cover for around 280 Challenges in Biotechnological and Environmental Approaches, April 23 - 24 101 Halilaj et al., 2019 days per year. Approximately 50% of total annual rain Based on our study, this survey was falls is from April to September, whereas months with conducted in the vegetation period of year 2018 on the less rainfall are January, February, March and August territory of the Strict Nature Reserve of Shutman. (MMPH/AMMK, 2013; Bank et al., 2012; Voit et. al., Identification of plant material were determined 2013). according to the Flora of Albania (Anonymous, 1988- Shutman have a combination of underwater 2000), Atlas of Kosovo Plants (Berisha et al., 2012), land systems, including mountain lakes, oligotrophic Red Book of Vascular Flora of the Republic of interior streams, marshes, extensive pasture, shrub and Kosovo (Millaku et al., 2013) and Excursion Flora of herbaceous vegetation and vegetation of rocky Albania (Vangjeli, 2015; Demiri, 1983). The surfaces (MMPH/AMMK, 2013). The geographical nomenclature used was according to the databases of location, climate and hydrological characteristics, the Plant List (theplantlist.org). different rock substrata and soil types, are factors The floristic elements are given after Assyov contributing to a rich flora and vegetation and & Petrova (2012), supplemented with data from considerable number rare, relic and endemic plant Asenov (2015) and Vuksanović et al., (2016). The life species. The paleo-environmental conditions allowed forms of the taxa are represented in the systems of the survival of relic taxa, including some of tertiary Raunkiaer (1934). The following abbreviations apply: origin (Olšavská et al. 2016). But, the biodiversity of Ph = phanerophyte, Ch = chamaephyte, H = endemic and relic plants in Shutman is poorly hemicryptophyte, G = geophyte, T = therophyte. explored and no detailed studies are available. The Biological types are defined by Berisha et al. (2012), present study is the first on this subject in the Shutman Millaku et al. (2013) and Anonymous (1988-2000). Reserve. The aim of this study was to provide a list of Information on endemic and relic elements of the endemic and relic plant species together with their vascular plants are presented under same botanical conservation status and an analysis of floristic publications (Zahariev, 2016; Mustafa et al., 2015; elements, biological types, life form for each species. Tomović et al., 2014; Vuksanović et al., 2016; This information is important due to the high Millaku et al. 2008; Millaku et al. 2017; Hajredini et conservation value of strict natural protected area of al., 2013; Mahmutaj, 2015; Petrova & Vladimirov, Shutman. 2010). Threatened status of plant taxa is represented Material and methods according to the Red Book of Vascular Flora of the Study area Republic of Kosovo (Millaku et al., 2013), the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2018), Bern Shutman Reserve is a part of Sharri National Convention (Council of Europe 1979), Annex V of Park of Kosovo. This covers an area of 5057.39 Directive 92/43/ЕЕС (Habitat Directive), European hectares that consists of a wide mountain belt from Red List of Vascular Plants and Appendix II of 1600 m to 2536 m above sea level (Vraca e Madhe). CITES Convention (CITES 2011). The floristic list The subalpine zone extends above the upper forest (Table 1) is provided in alphabetical order by families belt from 1600 - 2100 m (rare 2200 m) above sea and species. level and upper them is found the alpine zone, where environmental conditions become more extreme due Results and Discussion to decreasing temperatures, increasing solar radiation, The floristic list of endemic and relict species strong winds, etc. or important plant species within this paper contains Data collection and species determination 42 vascular plants belonging to 20 families and 28 genera, (Table 1). The most important contributors at Challenges in Biotechnological and Environmental Approaches, April 23 - 24 102 The endemic and relic alpine–subalpine plant species in Shutman natural reserve of Kosovo and their conservation status family rank with the highest number of the important as 14 families were represented by 1-2 species. plant species are Asteraceae (5 taxa), Caryophyllaceae Achillea, Campanula, Dianthus and Gentiana are the (5), Rosaceae (5) and Campanulaceae with 4 species. genera with the highest number of species (first Two families, especially Gentianaceae and genera presented 4 species and others genera Saxifragaceae, are represented by 3 species. As many presented with 3 species). Table 1: The floristic list of the endemic and relic present in Shutman Natural Reserve Rareness & Taxa Life Floristic Biological Relic and Conservation forms element type endemic plants status ASTERACEAE Achillea abrotanoides Vis. Ch Bal p Bal endemic Achillea chrysocoma Friv. H Bal p Bal endemic EN Achillea corabensis (Heimerl) Micevski Ch Bal p Bal endemic EN Achillea tanacetifolia Mill. H Eur-Sib p LC- IUCN Centaurea nervosa Willd. H Alp-Carp-Bal p Bal endemic CAMPANULACEAE Asyneuma limonifolium (L.) Janch. H Ap-Bal p Tertiary relics Campanula albanica Witasek H Bal p Bal endemic EN Campanula foliosa Ten. H S-E-Eur p Bal endemic LC Campanula spatulata Sibth. et Sm. G Bal p Bal endemic CAPRIFOLIACEAE Sambucus racemosa L. Ph Boreal sh Tertiary relics LC- IUCN CARYOPHYLLACEAE Cerastium decalvans Schloss. & Vuk. H Bal p Bal endemic Dianthus integer Vis. H Bal p Bal endemic Dianthus scardicus Wettst. H Bal p Steno-endemic NT Dianthus superbus L. H Eur-As p Bal endemic LC Silene roemeri Friv. H Bal-Ap p Bal endemic COLCHICACEAE Colchicum autumnale L. G Eur p LC- IUCN CRASSULACEAE Sempervivum heuffelii Schott H Bal p Sub-endemic LC Sempervivum kosanini Praeger H Bal p Bal endemic NT EMPETRACEAE Empetrum nigrum L. H Boreal p QG relics Rare FABACEAE Onobrychis scardica (Grseb.) Halacsy H Eur-Med p Bal endemic GENTIANACEAE Gentiana lutea L. H Eur p Tertiary relics VU; HD V; LC – ERL Gentiana punctata L. H Alp-Carp p C & SEE endemic LC; LC- IUCN Gentiana verna L. H Eur-As p QG relics GERANIACEAE Geranium subcaulescens L'Hér. ex DC. G Med p Bal endemic LC IRIDACEAE Challenges in Biotechnological and Environmental Approaches, April 23 - 24 103 Halilaj et al., 2019 Crocus scardicus Kosanin G Bal p Steno-endemic NT; LC- IUCN Crocus veluchensis Herb. G Bal p Bal endemic LAMIACEAE Lamium garganicum L.