23 December 2019
23.12.2019 - The publication of the Red Book of Kosovo's Fauna has been carried out within the framework of the project "Biodiversity Inventory through the Red Book of Fauna" as part of the Kosovo Environmental Program (KEP) funded by the Swedish Government – SIDA. Within the framework of the project, other activities for the preparation of the Red Book of Fauna were also carried out, such as: the preparation of the working methodology for the compilation of the Red Book of Fauna based on IUCN criteria, field research work, and the organization of workshops with relevant institutions.
The completion of this project is of great importance for the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration (MEFWA), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD), the University of Pristina, the Department of Public Administration (DPA) and other institutions of the biodiversity protection sector because, for the first time in Kosovo, the fauna is being inventoried, and based on the data of the Red Book of Fauna, policies and strategies for the protection and conservation of fauna in Kosovo will be developed.
In the Red Book of Fauna of the Republic of Kosovo, a total of 306 species are included, which belong to the following groups of animals: Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Oligochaeta, Hirudinea, Arachnida (Araneae, Mesostigmata), Malacostraca, Diplopoda, Insecta (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Odonata, Coleoptera, Mecoptera, Diptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera), Cyclostomata, Actinopterygii, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia. The number of observed species is much larger, but due to limited space, the assessment has been made only for these species.
During the implementation of the project for the Red Book within the Environmental Program of Kosovo in animal research activities, the presence of a new species in Kosovo was also documented for the first time. This species belongs to the group Insecta, order Trichoptera, and genus Potamophylax, Julian group, which is an endemic group of the Balkans with a narrow distribution.
A large number of species of Ephemeroptera, Coleoptera, Mollusca, Araneae, and others are part of this group of material that has not yet been identified, and the completion of their identification may produce significant results for the fauna of the Republic of Kosovo.
The largest number of species included in the Red Book of Fauna of the Republic of Kosovo belongs to the groups: Insecta (140 species), Mammalia (39), Aves (24), Reptilia (20), and Gastropoda (20), while other groups are represented by a smaller number of species.
The largest number of species included in the Red Book of Fauna of the Republic of Kosovo belongs to the categories: Data Deficient (a total of 90) and Near Threatened (a total of 80), while the smallest number of species belongs to the categories: Vulnerable (24) and Critically Endangered (25). These data reflect the factual situation in the research on animal diversity in Kosovo, where there are still essential gaps for a large number of species concerning data about their populations, number of individuals, trends, and the factors that threaten them. This is an urgent warning to begin monitoring such species, so that the species which have not been able to be assessed for threat categories due to lack of data can be properly evaluated before they are irreversibly threatened by anthropogenic hazards and other risks.
The greatest number of threats to the assessed species belong to these groups of threats: use of biological resources, modifications of natural systems, climate change and extreme weather, human interference and disturbances, pollution, and residential and commercial development. Logging and forest harvesting, poorly managed recreational activities, exploitation of surface waters (especially for agricultural purposes), domestic and urban wastewater, habitat displacement and alteration, and tourism and recreation areas are the most common specific risks that threaten the assessed species. For many, the Red Book of Fauna of Kosovo