English - Convention on Biological Diversity

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COUNTRY STUDY FOR BIODIVERSITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
threatened. Among them, the most threatened species are the Bearded vulture (Gypaetus
barbatus) and the Black vulture (Aegypius monachus). Mammals have 19.5% of their
species listed as threatened; however, the formerly locally extinct species Cervus
elaphus (Red deer) and Dama dama (Fallow deer) have been successfully reintroduced
and now have steadily increasing populations.
Amphibians and Reptiles, according to the European Red List of Vertebrates, are
regarded as the least threatened. However, on a national level, a considerable reduction
in the populations of most of the species has been recorded, with the most noteworthy
cases being the Balkan spadefoot toad - Pelobates syriacus balcanicus (due to draining
of marsh ecosystems) and the Yellow-bellied toad - Bombina variegata (due to water
capture/extraction from natural springs).
Major portions of the endemic invertebrate fauna in Macedonia are intrinsically
linked to the aquatic ecosystems. The high threat level to this fauna results from the
decline in the water levels of certain lakes, eutrophication of these lakes and the
pollution of riverine ecosystems.
3.6. Key threats to biodiversity
3.6.1. Habitat loss, modification and fragmentation
In the Republic of Macedonia, habitat loss, modification and fragmentation have
been occurring from prehistoric times to the present; however, these processes have
intensified over the past few decades.
The terms “loss” and “modification” of habitats are interwoven and often cannot be
separated because the loss of a habitat is always connected with its modification.
3.6.1.1. Land conversion
The loss of natural habitats due to conversion is most evident within aquatic habitats,
particularly swamps and marshes. During the decades following World War II, almost
all of the major swamps and marshes were drained, mainly for two reasons: to acquire
new agricultural areas and to combat malaria. Because of this, marsh biocenoses became
seriously endangered, fragmented or threatened with extinction (Sections 3.3.2.4. and
3.5.3.3.). This process is still continuing (the Ohrid marsh, Studenchishte, has been
converted into a landfill for construction waste).
One method of habitat modification is through its transformation. In Macedonia, this
is particularly seen as a result of artificial reservoir construction. There are many
examples of plant species becoming endangered or extinct due to the transformation of
terrestrial habitats into aquatic ones (Sections 3.3.2.4. and 3.5.3.3.). In the past, during
the construction of more than 20 major reservoirs, no regard was given as to whether
valuable habitats would be destroyed.
Currently, the conversion of natural habitats into agricultural uses does not represent
a serious threat to biodiversity. On the contrary, the most striking losses have been of the
extensive number of meadows (in the foothills and mountain areas) and of the pastures
in the lowlands. The diversity and mosaic-like distribution of habitats characteristic of
traditional agriculture are seriously threatened. As a result, it is expected that, in two or
three decades, this portion of the landscape will disappear, having been modified into
shrubs and low forests.