5. VALUE, USE AND THREATS TO PRIORITY TREE SPECIES

5.1 Value and use of important species

According to Table 3, showing the value and use of 35 Albanian species, 31 of them are very important for current socioeconomic reasons and for of them are species of unknown value, given the present state of knowledge and technology in Albania. The table shows that 24 species are used for timber production, three are important for fuelwood or charcoal, five are used for non-wood forest products, one is used for paper, six for fodder and two for agroforestry systems. Most species (28) play an important role in soil and water conservation.

Table 3. Value and use of important species

Species name

Value code*

Present, future or potential use**

ti

po

wo

nw

pu

fo

fd

sh

ag

co

am

xx

Abies alba

1

+

+

Aesculus hippocastanum

3

Betula pendula

1

+

+

+

Corylus colurna

1

+

+

+

Fagus sylvatica

1

+

+

+

+

Fraxinus angustifolia

1

+

Fraxinus excelsior

1

+

+

+

Juglans regia

1

+

+

+

Juniperus communis

1

+

+

Juniperus oxycedrus

3

+

+

Juniperus foetidissima

3

+

+

Picea abies

1

+

+

Pinus halepensis

1

+

+

Pinus heldreichii

1

+

+

Pinus nigra

1

+

+

+

Pinus peuce

1

+

Pinus pinaster

1

+

Pinus sylvestris

1

+

Populus tremula

1

+

+

Quercus frainetto

1

+

+

+

Quercus ilex

1

+

+

Quercus robur

1

+

+

Quercus coccifera

1

+

+

Quercus calliprinos

1

+

+

Quercus macrolepsis

1

+

+

+

Quercus trojana

1

+

+

+

Quercus cerris

1

+

+

+

Quercus pubescens

1

+

+

+

Quercus virgiliana

1

+

+

Quercus petrea

1

+

+

+

Quercus dalechampii

1

+

+

Taxus baccata

1

+

Tilia platyphyllos

3

+

Tilia tomentosa

3

+

Ulmus laevis

1

+

*Value

1: Species of current socio-economic importance; 2: Species with clear potential or future value; 3: Species of unknown value given present knowledge and technology.

**Utilization

ag: agroforestry systems; am: amenity, aesthetic, ethical values; co: soil and water conservation; nw: non wood products (gums, resins, medicines, dyes, tannins, etc.); fo: food; fd: fodder; po: posts, poles, roundwood; pu: pulp and paper; sh: shade, shelter; ti: timber production; wo: fuelwood, charcoal; xx: other.

5.2 Level and nature of threats to important tree species

There are 12 species in Albania in ecogeographic zones that threaten the integrity of the species. Aesculus hippocastanum was classified as extinct with a value of five on the threat index scale; Quercus robur and Taxus baccata also have a threat index of five, and eight species are classified as endangered species with a threat index of for (see Table 4).

Table 4 . Level and nature of threats to the integrity of species/populations of important species and threat index

Species in ecogeografic (or genecological) zones	Reserves, natural area	In situ conservation stands, managed forests, unmanaged forests and plantations	Villages fields, homesteads	Ex situ conservation stands	Experimental field trials	Degree of threat index
Quercus robur	+					Probably extinct/ 5
Betula pendula	+					Endangered/4
Quecus ilex	+					Endangered/4
Juglans regia			+			Endangered/4
Fraxinus excelsior	+					Endangered/4
Juniperus communis	+					Endangered/4
Juniperus oxycedrus	+					Endangered/4
Picea abies	+					Endangered/4
Pinus peuce	+					Endangered/4
Tilia platyphyllos	+					Endangered/4
Taxus baccata	+					Probably extinct/5
Aesculus hippocastanum	+					Extinct/5

Source: Red Book, 1995. Threatened and rare plant species of Albania.

Threat index on a scale of 1 to 5

1=implementation/enforcement of regulations probable, and regulations scientifically sound. Low level of threat.

2, 3, 4=intermediate between 1 and 5.

5=implementation/enforcement of regulations unlikely, or threat severe with high probability of genetic degradation or loss. High level of threat.

During the last 40 years, about 300 000 ha of oak forests have been cleared for agricultural and pasture land. Natural alpine pastures have been damaged by planting potatoes and in the chestnut zone, oak species were cleared and replaced by forage for sheep. On the other hand, during the last 3 years, farmers refused about 60 000 ha of cleared forest land because of low agricultural productivity (Dida, 1996).

The abandonment of lands has many ecological consequences such as soil erosion, loss of plant and animal biodiversity and damage to landscape in mountain and tourist areas. Exploitation and overgrazing without clear technical criteria has decreased the productivity of oak forests to 1.2 m³/ha/year. It is important to study the degradation processes under these conditions, to identify means of rehabilitation and to improve the ecological potential of these habitats. So far there has been no conservation programmed for oaks in Albania, but at least two species (Quercus ilex and Q. suber) need conservation and rehabilitation projects.

High forests are generally less damaged, due to their distance from urban areas, while coppices are more degraded as a result of overharvesting and overgrazing. In the past, oak forests were simply exploited for timber and cut irrationally, without any consideration for regeneration. Currently their rehabilitation is being examined, through the study of climatic, soil and geographic factors, which will be closely linked to the identification of the silvicultural measures to be undertaken.

There are no ex situ conservation programmes reported in Albania, nor tree breeding activities, either in traditional programmes or in biotechnologies (FAO, 2003b).

5.3 Priority species for conservation, improvement or seed procurement

Table 5 shows a prioritized list of species for conservation, improvement and seed procurement, six of them are important for industrial wood production, two for non-wood forest products, one for fuelwood and two for other uses. For all of those species for which conservation is a priority, there is a need for more biological information such as natural distribution, taxonomy, genecology, phenology, etc. On the other hand, for eight species there needs to be an evaluation and for 12 of them there needs to be conservation “in situ”. Of these, four species are endangered species and need to start action with the highest priority for conservation and for the other eight species there needs to be provenance trials, with highest priority and with immediate effect.

Table 5. List of priority species for conservation, improvement or seed procurement

SPECIES

End use

OPERATION /ACTIVITIES

REMARKS/Rating

W

NW

FW

E/C

Evaluation

Conservation

Germplasm use

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Aesculus hippocastanum

+

+

E/1

Betula pendula

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Picea abies

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Pinus halepensis

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Pinus heldreichii

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Pinus peuce

+

+

+

PVT/1

Pinus sylvestris

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Quercus ilex

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Quercus robur

+

+

+

E/1

Quercus macrolepsis

+

+

+

+

PVT/1

Taxus baccata

+

+

+

E/1

Tilia platyphyllos

+

+

+

E/1

See next page for legend.

Legend