BiodiversityStrategyand ActionPlanofthe RepublicofMacedonia MINISTRYOFENVIRONMENTANDPHYSICALPLANNING SKOPYE,2004 001 Skopye,2003 MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning Publisher: MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning Englisheditors: R.DarrellSmith,Ph.D. Englishtranslation: SvetozarPetkovski,Ph.D.,andVesnaSidorovska,Ph.D. Technicalpreparation: Grafohartija Printedby: Grafohartija Printingrun: 500copies CIP-Cataloguing-in-PublicationData NationalandUniversityLibrary"St.ClementofOhrid” Skopye BiodiversityStrategyandActionPlanfortheRepublicofMacedonia Skopje:MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning,2003.-134Pages.:Tables;30cm Bibliography:pp. ISBN:9989-110-16-6 Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmitted inanyformorbyanymeans,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutthepriorwritten permissionofthepublisher. 002 ThisdocumentwasbaseduponscientificdatausedinthepreparationoftheCountryStudyfor BiodiversityoftheRepublicofMacedonia.Thepreparationofthisdocumentanditspublicationwere financedbytheWorldBankundertheGlobalEnvironmentalFacility(GEF). SteeringCommittee: President: • MenkaSpirovska,Stateadvisor-MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning Members: • KonstantinSiderovski,MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning • DanicaPavlovska,MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning • StefankaHadzipecova,NationalCommitteeonBiodiversity • KristinaPavlovska,MinistryofFinance • PanceNikolov,MinistryofAgriculture,ForestryandWaterManagement • ZoranStojcevski,MinistryofForeignAffairs • SnezanaTasevska,MinistryofEconomy • TodorIvanovski,MacedonianMuseumofNaturalHistory,Skopye • StojmirkaTasevska,EconomicChamberoftheRepublicofMacedonia • SlavkoDamevski,PelisterNationalPark • VladimirDzabirski,FacultyofAgriculture,Skopye • KrsteRistevski,FacultyofLaw,Skopye • BorisGelevski,MacedonianMovementofEcologists ProjectManager: • VeselaLambevskaDomazetova 003 MembersoftheWorkingTeamInvolvedinthePreparation oftheBiodiversityStrategyandActionPlanfortheRepublicofMacedonia I. CoreTeam • VladoMatevski,Ph.D.,Professor-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNaturalSciencesand Mathematics,Skopye • SvetozarPetkovski,Ph.D.,Museumadvisor-MacedonianMuseumofNaturalHistory, Skopye • LjupcoMelovski,Ph.D.,Asst.Professor-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNaturalSciences andMathematics,Skopye • SretenAndonov,Ph.D.,Professor-FacultyofAgriculture,Skopye • NikolaNikolov,Ph.D.,Asst.Professor-FacultyofForestry,Skopye • SvetislavKrstic,Ph.D.,Asst.Professor-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNaturalSciences andMathematics,Skopye II.Members • BrankoMicevski,Ph.D.,Professor-InstituteofBiology,FacultyforNaturalSciencesand Mathematics,Skopye • ZivkoSekovski,Ph.D.,Professor-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNaturalSciencesand Mathematics,Skopye • JordeJakimovski,Ph.D.,Professor-InstituteforSociological,PoliticalandJuridical Research,Skopye • JovanRistov,Director-InstituteofProtectionofCulturalMonumentsoftheRepublicof Macedonia • SonjaIvanovska,Ph.D.,Assoc.Professor-FacultyofAgriculture,Skopye • MitkoKostadinovski,Ph.D.,Assoc.Professor-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNatural SciencesandMathematics,Skopye • JaneAcevski,Ph.D.,Professor-FacultyofForestry,Skopye • PeceNedanovski,M.Sc.,Assistant-FacultyofEconomy,Skopye • ZlatkoLevkov,M.Sc.,Assistant-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNaturalSciencesand Mathematics,Skopye • VasilKostov,M.Sc.-InstituteofLivestockscience,Skopye • SlavcoHristovski,Assistant-InstituteofBiology,FacultyofNaturalSciencesand Mathematics,Skopye III. OtherParticipants • VesnaSidorovska,Ph.D.,Vice-president-SocietyfortheInvestigationandConservationof BiodiversityandtheSustainableDevelopmentofNaturalEcosystems(BIOECO),Skopye • GordanaPopsimonova,Ph.D.-InstituteofAgriculture,Skopye • SaskoJordanov,M.Sc.-MinistryofEnvironmentandPhysicalPlanning • GoseStefkov,M.Sc.,Assistant-FacultyofPharmacology,Skopye 004 TABLEOFCONTENTS TABLEOFCONTENTS TableofContents .................................................I 3.KEYTHREATSTO Foreword ..........................................................III BIODIVERSITY ............................53 1.INTRODUCTION ...........................3 3.1.Socio-economiccontext ...........................53 3.2.Keyeconomicsectorsaffecting 1.1.TheValueofBiodiversity ........................3 biodiversity ..............................................55 1.2.ConventiononBiologicalDiversity ........3 3.3.Underlyingcausesofbiodiversityloss .....62 1.3.BiodiversityStrategy 3.4.Maindirectthreatstobiodiversity ............63 andActionPlan ........................................4 3.4.1Habitatloss,modificationand 1.4.Countrycontext .......................................5 fragmentation .......................................63 1.4.1.GeographicPosition ..........................5 3.4.2.Overuseofbiologicalresources ..........64 1.4.2.Physicalgeography ..............................6 3.4.3.Pollutionoftheenvironment ...............65 1.4.3.Climate .................................................8 3.4.4.Introducedandinvasivespecies ..........66 1.4.4.Hydrography .......................................10 3.4.5.Climatechanges ...................................66 1.4.5.Humanpopulationandsettlements ....11 3.4.6.Naturaldisasters ...................................67 3.4.7.Otherfactors ........................................68 2.BIODIVERSITYWITHINTHE REPUBLICOFMACEDONIA ....15 4.LEGALANDINSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKFOR 2.1.Diversityofecosystems ..........................15 BIODIVERSITY 2.1.1.Keyecosystems .................................15 2.1.2.Threatenedecosystems .......................20 CONSERVATION ..........................71 2.2.Diversityofspecies .................................26 2.2.1.Micro-organisms ................................26 4.1.Constitutionalbasis ...............................71 2.2.2.Algae ...................................................26 4.2.Legalbasis ..............................................72 2.2.3.FungiandLichens ..............................27 4.3.Internationalagreements .......................79 2.2.4.Higherplantgroups ............................28 4.4.Institutionalframework .........................81 2.2.5.Fauna ..................................................29 2.3.Endemicandrelictspecies ....................33 5.PROBLEMANALYSIS ...............91 2.3.1.Micro-organisms .................................33 2.3.2.Algae ...................................................33 5.1.Currentlossof,oreffectson, 2.3.3.FungiandLichens ..............................33 biodiversity ........................................91 2.3.4.Higherplants ......................................34 5.2.Directcauseofbiodiversityloss ............92 2.3.5.Fauna ..................................................35 5.3.Underlyingcausesofbiodiversityloss ...92 2.4.Rare,threatenedandextinctspecies 5.4.Keysectorsaffectingbiodiversity ..........93 andassemblages .....................................37 5.5.Constrainstoconservation ....................94 2.4.1.Micro-organisms .................................37 5.6.Oppurtunitesforconservation ..............95 2.4.2.Algae ..................................................37 2.4.3.FungiandLichens ..............................37 6.BIODIVERSITYSTRATEGY 2.4.4.Higherplants ......................................38 ANDACTIONPLAN ....................99 2.4.5.Fauna ..................................................41 2.5.Speciesofeconomicimportance 6.1BiodiversityStrategyforMacedonia .....99 (wildplantsandanimals) ......................43 6.1.1.TheOverallAim .................................99 2.5.1.Usageofwildplantsandfungi ...........43 6.1.2.GuidingObjectives .............................99 2.5.2.Useofwildanimals ............................45 6.1.3.StrategicPrinciples ............................100 2.5.3.Assessmentsofsustainability .............47 6.2.BiodiversityActionPlan 2.6.Geneticdiversity(gene-fund) ................47 forMacedonia ........................................100 2.7.Agrobiodiversity .....................................48 6.3.ImplementationoftheBiodiversity 2.7.1.Crops ...................................................48 StrategyandActionPlan ......................101 2.7.2.Nativebreedsoflivestock ..................49 6.4.MonitoringoftheImplementation oftheBiodiversityStrategy andActionPlan ....................................102 BiodiversityActionPlanforMacedonia ....104 005 006 FOREWORD FOREWORD Duringtheperiodsinceachievingitsindependence,theRepublicofMacedoniahasbeenstriving tobuildastablepoliticalandeconomiccommunity,withalegalsystemabletofacilitaterapid integrationintotheEuropeanUnionandthewiderinternationalcommunity.Thisprimarystrategic goalhasgivenrisetosectoraltargets,oneofwhichistheestablishmentofefficientenvironmental protectionmeasuresinordertoprovideabasisforanimprovedqualityoflife. Onecomponentofthisstrategicgoalistheconservationofbiodiversityandhabitats.Inthe processtowardachievingthisgoal,theRepublicofMacedoniahasratified: theConventionon BiologicalDiversity(1997), ConventiononWetlandsofInternationalImportanceParticularlyas WaterfowlHabitat(1997), ConventionontheConservationofEuropeanWildlifeandNatural Habitats(1997)andConventionontheConservationofMigratorySpeciesofWildAnimals (1999). Theseconventions,togetherwiththeinternationalagreementsassumedfromtheformerSocialist FederalRepublicofYugoslaviabymeansofsuccession,constitutepartofthenationallegislationand representabasisforbiodiversityconservation. Inspiteoftheexistenceoflegalbasesfortheregulationofbiodiversityconservation(Lawonthe ProtectionofNaturalRarities [1973]aswellasothersectorallaws),however,foralongperiodthere