Wildlife Of North Macedonia

Over 22,500 species of wildlife have been recorded in North Macedonia. Over 10,000 of these are insects, which include 3,000 beetle species and large numbers of Lepidoptera, flies, and Hymenoptera. Aside from insects, other large arthropod groups include Chelicerata (mostly spiders) and crustaceans. Among vertebrates, more than 300 species of birds recorded, although not all nest in the country. There are over 80 species of both fish and mammals, 32 reptiles, and 14 amphibians.

Over 4,200 plants have been identified, of which more than 3,700 are vascular plants. The majority of existing forest is deciduous, and the amount of forest has expanded slightly in recent years. Over 2,000 species of algae have been found, most of them within lakes. There are also 2,000 species of identified fungi, with 90% of these being Basidiomycota, and at least 450 lichen has contributed to large variation within local climates, which together with the presence of ice age refugia has resulted in significant diversity and endemism. Although North Macedonia is landlocked, it has numerous rivers and lakes supporting aquatic wildlife. The forest and caves in the west of the country support a number of unique and endangered animals. The three largest lakes, Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa, and Lake Dojran, are further areas of relatively high diversity.

There is substantial interaction between people and wildlife, especially in rural areas. Various plant and fungi species are foraged for local use and for export, and many animal species are hunted. Other threats to wildlife include land use change, pollution, and climate change. A number of animal and plant species have become locally extinct. 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.

Environment

North Macedonia spans in the middle of the Balkan Peninsula. The landlocked country is centred around the Vardar river valley, with the national borders being marked by mountain ranges. Its diverse landscape creates a variety of local climates, which can be divided into eight biomes. The varied habitats of the country, including both natural and man-made environments, can be divided into 28 broad types, which are further subdivided into 120 at the third level of EUNIS classification. These are spread across 38 classes of landscapes.

The overall climate is temperate, with the area undergoing four seasons throughout the year. However, the varied geography means that there is significant local climatic variety. Precipitation also varies significantly. Up to of snow can fall on some mountains.

North Macedonia contains of surface water. Its 35 rivers fall into three river basins, with one basin each flowing into the Aegean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, and the Black Sea. The majority of the country, , falls within the Agean Basin, which contains Lake Dojran. of this basin is covered by the Vardar river and its tributaries. The remaining of the Aegean drainage basin is covered by the Strumica river and its tributaries. The main river of the Adriatic basin is Black Drim, which begins at Lake Ohrid. Lake Prespa also falls within this basin. Under some accounting there are also three minor drainage basins, which combined cover just over 1% of North Macedonia. Altogether, lakes cover 2% of the country, about . The three large lakes mentioned above are tectonic lakes. Lake Ohrid is , and has an average depth of . It is thought to be 2–3 million years old. Lake Prespa is , with an average depth of . Lake Dojran is , with a maximum depth of just . These three lakes are split between North Macedonia and neighbouring countries. Around 43 glacial lakes exist in the mountains. There are also 111 are artificial lakes, including large reservoirs.

A complex geological history means the country's surface rocks originate from many periods of Earth's history. There are 13 mountains whose heights exceed , with the highest being above sea level. Around 50% of the country is considered mountainous, containing many gorges and valleys. Caves, especially in limestone mountains found in the west, support a variety of cave fauna, and contain their own lakes. Forests cover of the country, 90% of which is within state-owned land. Agricultural land covers , including both actively used land and land that is able to be quickly cultivated. Pastures make up 757,000 of this agricultural land.

Plants

At least 3700 species of vascular plants have been identified in North Macedonia, of which 116 are endemic or near-endemic. 3200 of these are flowering plants. Additionally, there are 573 non-vascular plant species, none of which are endemic. Over 400 of these species are mosses, while 100 are liverworts.

The estimated wood mass in the country was in 2008. Forested land expanded by 3.5% in the decade leading up to 2013, reflecting a decrease in annual logging, deliberate efforts to expand forested area, and a reduction in livestock. This recovery is not shared by all forest types however, with coniferous and mixed forest coverage reducing in size. As of 2013, 58% of the forest was deciduous, 30% was mixed, 7% was coniferous, and 5% was considered degraded. Some deliberate forestation has been undertaken with the invasive ''Robinia pseudoacacia'' and '' Ailanthus altissima''.

Broadleaf tree woodlands, dominated by alder, birch, poplar, and willow species, are some of the country's most endangered habitats. Swamp woodlands are dominated by ''Alnus glutinosa''. Beech forests are dominated by oaks and beech species. Oaks, chestnuts, hophornbeams, and ''Carpinus orientalis'' dominate deciduous woodlands. Other habitats contain many conifer species.

314 species of flowering plants (11% of all flowering plants in the country) are protected. 14 species of vascular plants assessed by the United Nations Environment Programme are considered at a risk of extinction: four are critically endangered, five are endangered, and five are vulnerable. Eight moss species are protected. Only 11 Macedonian species appear in the Bern Convention, whereas five are listed in European Union Habitats Directive appendices.

Plant species that have become locally extinct in North Macedonia include '' Acorus calamus'', ''Sagittaria sagittifolia'', ''Lysimachia thyrsiflora'', ''Aldrovanda vesiculosa'', and ''Nymphaea alba''. Others, such as '' Jacobaea paludosa'', '' Ranunculus lingua'', and ''Gentiana pneumonanthe'', are near locally extinct if not extinct already. '' Carex elata'' is also on the brink of extinction.

Fungi

Of the 2000 identified fungi taxa in North Macedonia, none are endemic. Around 1800 belong to Basidiomycota (including 550 within Agaricales and 450 within Aphyllophorales), while 200 species are Ascomycota. In addition, at least 450 species of lichen

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