English - Convention on Biological Diversity

34
COUNTRY STUDY FOR BIODIVERSITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Forest land includes 22,000 ha of nonproductive areas (rocky terrain). As a result of
the measures taken for forest maintenance and artificial reforestation, today the forests in
Macedonia have been rehabilitated, with a large part of the shrublands converted into
low forests (woodlands), and low forests into high forests. Unfortunately, seedlings of
White and Black pine have been used in the reforestation process rather than naturally
occurring species. Of special note is the fact that 250,000 ha of forests and forest lands
are currently almost devoid of vegetative cover (both inside and outside the main forest
canopy). Of these, 0.4% are under sparse cover. These are areas suitable for replanting
or for allowing natural recolonisation to occur.
Agricultural land includes pastures, temporary pools, drained wetlands still
containing reeds and arable land. High quality pastures (192,000 ha) are located in
almost all high mountain areas, but the best ones are located in the western mountains
(Shar Planina, Bistra, Stogovo, Korab, Deshat and others). Arable land includes
ploughed land and gardens, meadows, and a small amount of vineyards and orchards.
Cereals dominate within this area (62%), which does not correspond to the favourable
soil moisture and temperature conditions.
In general, approximately one-third of farm fields and gardens remain unplanted
each year, that is, fallow or untilled (total of 193,000 ha). These are mainly areas of low
cadastral class (VI, VII and VIII) located on hilly or mountainous terrain, having
unfavourable relief or climatic conditions.
The nature of nonproductive land is shown in Table 7. Water resources comprise
most of the total balance of nonproductive land. Watercourses, natural lakes and
artificial reservoirs cover an area of 87,493 ha or 3.4% of Macedonia’s total land area. A
great portion of nonproductive land, however, is covered by settlements and
infrastructure (totalling 69,207 ha), mainly in the plains and the most fertile areas. Of
particular note has been the expansion of towns and plain settlements within the Skopye
Valley, Polog Valley, Kichevsko Pole Plain, Ohrid Valley, Kumanovsko Pole Plain,
Slavishko Pole Plain, Strumichko Pole Plain etc.
Table 7. Nature of unproductive surfaces.
Type of Surface ha %
Water and waterways 44,083 19.1
Natural lakes 43,410 18.7
Religious objects 1,300 0.6
Roads and railroads 34,094 14.8
Settlements 35,113 15.2
Other barren land 73,000 31.6
Total 231,000 100 %
Source: Spatial Plan of the Republic of Macedonia – Proposal, Public Enterprise for Spatial and
Urban Planning, Skopje 1999
The category of “other barren lands” (Table 7) includes rocky terrain, high rocky
peaks of young mountain ranges, extremely eroded areas, very steep and uncultivated
areas, sides of canyons and valleys and the like. The abandoned arable land of cadastral
class VII and VIII included in this category suffers from extreme erosion.
2.8. Human pressure on the environment
General historical processes, socioeconomic parameters, the current political
situation, infrastructure characteristics and land use in the Republic of Macedonia are