COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

(iv) mountain Mediterranean climate zone; with mean temperature – 10 °C, sometime only 4 –
6 °C, even sometimes descended below zero; maximum annual rainfall 2,000 – 2,500 mm per
year, but mean annual rainfall is 1,300 – 1,800 mm.
There are five vegetation types in Albania: (i) Mediterranean vegetation type (macchia Mediterranean);
(ii) oak forests; (iii) beach forests; (iv) fir forests; (v) Bosnian and Balkan pine forests.
Extending and strengthening the network of protected area (up to 9 units), as a base for creating
an ecologic network of the country, is an important aim and objective of Albanian institutions, and
has resulted in extension the surface area of protected areas from 6.4% in June 2005 to 361,401.40 ha
or 12.5 % of the total country area at the end of 2009.
Administration and management of protected area in Albania is based on Law No. 8906, dated
06.06.2002 “For Protected area”, and some related decisions, orders and rules.
After 1990, Albania enacted many important international conventions that have relevance with the
protected areas, environment etc. These protected areas, according IUCN categories include:
I. Nature strict reserve/scientific reserve (NStR/ScR); 2 units, 4,800 ha.
II. National parks (N.P.); 14 units; 1 6,51 ha;
III. Nature monuments (NM); 50 units (more individual trees; usually smaller area); 3,490 ha;
IV. Nature reserve managed (NRM); 22 units; 62,530 ha;
V. Protected landscapes (PL); 5 units; 95,864.4 ha;
VI. Protected area of Nature Resource Managed; 4 units; 95,864.4 ha.
ForesT resources IN aLbaNIa
Approximately 36% of the total surface area of Albania is covered by forests amounting to 1,042, 90 ha,
with a total standing volume of 5, 26,100 m3 , of which 62% is commercial timber and 38% firewood.
More of the forest lies at north-east and south-eastern part of Albania.
According to national statistics the current forest situation is as follows:
• High forest: 325,3 0 ha; coppice forest: 45 ,598 ha; scrub and other vegetation: 260,190 ha. Some
of the main forest species that grow in Albania are as follows (Fig. 1):
Fig. 1: Proportion (%) of European beech and other main forest trees in Albania (prepared by H. Haska)
12
Black pine 10.4%
Fir tree 1.4%
Other conifers 4.5%
Beech 19.2%
Oak 32.7%
Other broadleaves 6.8%
Shrubs 25%