English - Convention on Biological Diversity

COUNTRY STUDY FOR BIODIVERSITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Human society derives great benefits from the use of species in natural ecosystems.
Nevertheless, the desire for these benefits must not be allowed to impact the
sustainability and dynamic balance of these systems. The rational utilisation of natural
resources (Sections 4.1. through 4.4.) directly depends on the stability of said
ecosystems: forests, meadows, pastures, rivers, lakes etc. Each species in an ecosystem
has its own place in the food web.
Plant communities (particularly forests) have a great influence on the modification of
climate in the area where they develop. Living conditions for humans in the severely
degraded habitats by the Vardar River are quite different by comparison to those in the
surrounding forested areas.
The role of biodiversity in the maintenance of watersheds and in the protection
against erosion is evident in Macedonia. Extremely degraded areas around the Vardar
River and some of its tributaries suffer serious damage from erosion. The presence of
forest cover in the watersheds of western Macedonia, among other factors, contributes to
the greater capacities of the local springs in comparison to most of those in eastern
Macedonia.
On a global level, photosynthesis by vegetation (especially forests) is the main
process by which carbon from atmospheric CO2 is encorporated into the living plant
biomass. In this way, biodiversity represents a principal regulator of the level of CO2 in
the atmosphere and the cycle of carbon in the biosphere.
One of the most important unmeasurable indirect values of biodiversity is the
relation of animals (particularly insects) to plants made possible through the process of
pollination and dissemination of fruits (fishes, birds and mammals). In this way, the
continuance of life for many plants is ensured, not only for wild species, but also for
cultivated ones.
Beekeeping, to a large extent, is likewise indirectly affected by biodiversity, but
these effects are also difficult to measure. Under conditions in Macedonia, the
production of honey is a branch of the food industry and is directly dependant upon the
biodiversity of nectar-producing plants. Keeping bees requires that bees collect nectar in
natural habitats, with a complete dependence upon wild nectar-bearing plants.
The quality of the water used for water supplys and other everyday purposes depends
directly upon microorganisms, Fungi, plants and animals. Many sectors of human
activity (e.g., industry, mining, energy and traffic) depend upon biodiversity in some
fashion. Many of life’s pleasures (e.g., aesthetics, recreation etc) are an indirect, but
solid, reflection of biodiversity.
4.6. Economic values of biological resources
Biological resources have great economic value, chiefly due to their wide use as food
for humans, but also in the production of fuel and as raw materials in industry. In
Macedonia, however, the quantification of the economic values of biological resources
is practically impossible due to a lack of specificity in official statistic data.
Nevertheless, some of the relevant Ministries do provide an official economic evaluation
of some characteristic groups of biological resources. For example, the economic value
for agricultural production (one of several large-scale industries) will be the subject of
discussion in a subsequent section.
85