Biodiversity of Albania

The Albanian Alps represent a major geomorphological part of Albania. It is the southernmost continuation of the Dinaric Alps, which extend along the Adriatic Sea from the Julian Alps in the northwest down to the Albanian Alps in the southeast.

The Albanian Adriatic and Ionian Sea coastlines are dotted with many ecosystems of an immense significance such as rocky coasts, lagoons, wetlands, sand dunes, river deltas, hydrophilic and hydrophobic forests.

For a small country, Albania is characterised by a considerable wealth of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and habitats with contrasting floral, faunal, and fungal species, defined in an area of 28,748 square kilometres. Most of the country is predominantly of Mediterranean character, comprehending the country's center and south, while the alpine affinity is more visible in the northeast.^[1]

Apart the diversity of topography and climate, the direct proximity of Albania to the Mediterranean Sea and the significant location within the European continent have created favorable conditions for appearance of a vast array of flora, fauna and funga with an immense quality, which led the country to be recognised as an important biodiversity hotspot in the continent.^[2][3][4] The number of globally threatened faunal species in Albania is high with an integral part of more than 181 species, ranking seventh in the Mediterranean Basin.^[5]

Albania is predominantly mountainous and hilly with the rapid landscape change from marine to alpine within a short distance. Only one-third of the country consists of lowlands that sprawl across the west of the country facing the Mediterranean Sea with a coastline length of about 476 km (296 mi).^[6] The mountain chains consequently cross the length of the country from north to south, featuring the Albanian Alps in the north, the Sharr Mountains in the northeast, the Skanderbeg Mountains in the center, the Korab Mountains in the east, the Pindus Mountains in the southeast and the Ceraunian Mountains in the southwest stretching alongside the Albanian Riviera.

The hydrographic network of Albania is composed of lakes, rivers, wetlands, seas and groundwaters. There are about 250 lakes of different origins, including tectonic, glacial and fluvial lakes. Among the most important is the lake of Shkodër, the largest lake in Southern Europe, followed by Ohrid, which is considered one of the most ancient lakes in the world. The rivers also have a valuable effect on the local coastal biodiversity (or wildlife). There are 152 rivers in the country, most notable amongst them Drin, Vjosa, Shkumbin, Mat, Ishëm and Osum. The coasts along the Mediterranean Sea are home to various lagoons including Karavasta and Narta. Protected areas belong to the most essential instruments of nature conservation. 799 types of protected areas are designated in Albania, spanning 5.216,96 square kilometres.^[7] Amongst them are 14 national parks, 1 marine park, 4 Ramsar sites, 3 World Heritage Sites, 45 important plant areas, 16 important bird areas and 786 protected areas of various categories.^{[8][9][10][11][12]}