English - Convention on Biological Diversity

56
COUNTRY STUDY FOR BIODIVERSITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Ramonda nathaliae, R. serbica, Ranunculus cacuminis, R. fontanus and Silene vulgaris,
whereas from the national CORINE list, 19 are present – Aldrovanda vesiculosa,
Asplenium macedonicum, Astragalus cernjavskii, A. physocalyx, Colchicum
macedonicum, Crocus cvijici, C. pelistericus, Drosera rotundifolia, Isoetes phrygia,
Osmunda regalis, Potentilla doerfleri, Ranunculus degeni, Salvia jurisicii, Sambucus
deborensis, Silene paeoniensis, Thymus oehmianus, Tulipa mariannae, Viola arsenica
and V. kosaninii.
The existing legal regulations addressing the protection of plants include portions of
the important floristic areas of the Republic of Macedonia and, within this framework, a
certain level of protection has been achieved. Explicitly protected populations of species
covered under these acts consist of: Abies borisii-regis (Braychino), Aesculus
hippocastanum (Garska River, Drenachka River and Suvi Dol), Arbutus andrachne
(Gevgeliya), Betula pendula (Neprtka), Fagus sylvatica (Kaloyzana), Juniperus excelsa
(village of Kozhle), Osmunda regalis (Bansko), Picea abies (Shar Planina Mountain -
Popova Shapka), Pinus mugo (Yakupitsa), the Pinus nigra forest (Mariovo), the
Platanus orientalis forest (Iberliska River and Mokrino), Quercus trojana (Trpeytsa) etc.
All of the important floristic sites have not been completely protected, however
(although some are in the process of being added to the protected list).
The key threats to the most important elements of floristic diversity are:
• Drainage of marshes – Species endangered by these activities are: Alopecurus
creticus (Monospitovo Marsh); Carex elata, Ranunculus lingua, Rumex
hydrolapathus and Senecio paludosus (Ohrid and Struga Marshes); Carex
pseudocyperus, Scirpus sylvaticus and Thelipteris palustris (marsh near Gostivar);
Cladium mariscus, Juncus maritimus, Molinia coerulea, Ophioglossum vulgatum,
Shoenus nigricans etc. (Negortsi Spa); Glyceria maxima (Pelagonia Marsh); Isoetes
phrygia and Osmunda regalis (Bansko) and Merendera sobolifera (Petrovets). The
following species are considered to be extinct: Acorus calamus (Crni Drim River)
and Sagittaria sagittifolia (Pelagonia Marsh - Novatsi).
• Construction of artificial hydropower reservoirs in river gorges – By inundating
large areas of river gorges, the existing phytocenoses present in the lower vertical
profiles of the rivers suffer degradation and partial destruction, and the cover of
relict, endemic and rare plant species is reduced. In the Treska River gorge, where
the Kozyak hydropower reservoir is being constructed, the holotypes of 13 species
were collected (Locus classicus). Among them, the relict endemic species Thymus
oehmianus and Viola kosaninii are particularly endangered. With the planned
construction of the Cebren hydropower reservoir in the gorge of the Crna River near
Mariovo, many habitats of the endemic species Silene paeoniensis will be covered
with water. The construction of Mavrovo Lake caused two species, Gentiana
pneumonanthe and Lysimachia thyrsiflora, which originated on the Mavrovsko Pole
Plain, to become extinct.
• Destruction of areas with halophytic vegetation – The cultivation of the salty soils of
the Ovche Pole Plain has endangered some halophytic species and communities.
This especially refers to the species Camphorosma monspeliaca, but also to other
halophytes such as: Crypsis aculeatus, Puccinelia convoluta, Suaeda maritima etc.
The species Allium obtusiflorum is now considered to be extinct.
• Collection of medicinal herbs – This activity endangers the following species:
Aconitum divergens, Adonis vernalis, Althaea officinalis, Anacamptis pyramidalis,