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Highlands of Gjakova
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Highlands of Gjakova
The Highlands of Gjakova or Gjakova Highlands (Albanian: Malësia e Gjakovës), known colloquially as Tropoja, refers to the mountainous ethnographic region in the eastern Albanian Alps that sits between north-eastern Albania and western Kosovo, serving as the historical centres of the Albanian Gashi, Krasniqi, Bytyçi, Morina, Nikaj and Mërturi tribes. Traditionally, parts of the Gjakova Highlands that are now located in southern Montenegro were used as pasturelands by the local Albanian tribes.
The Highlands of Gjakova are bordered by Kosovo's Plain of Dukagjin to the east, the Fierza Lake to the south, the ethnographic Dukagjin Highlands region to the west and the mountains of Plav and Guci to the north. Much of the region corresponds to the Tropoja Municipality of Albania, with the main municipal centre in Bajram Curri. This section consists of 54 villages and around 28,154 inhabitants. The Gjakova Highlands of Kosovo consist of Koshare, Botushë, Morina and the other mountainous areas and settlements in the west of the District of Gjakova. In Montenegro, areas to the east of Vuthaj are also considered to be part of the ethnographic Gjakova Highlands region. The region consists of the valued and protected Valbonë Valley National Park, Gashi Nature Reserve and the Nikaj-Mërtur Regional Nature Park, as well as certain sections of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park across the border.
There are several rivers, basins and waterways within the region, including but not limited to the Valbona, Gashi, Curraj/Nikaj, Bushtrica and Llugaj rivers as well as lakes such as the Xhema. It is home to many different peaks due to its mountainous terrain, including Maja e Hekurave, Maja e Kollatës, Mali i Zhaborreve, Shkëlzeni and Maja Jezercë.
The Gjakova Highlands are characterised by alpine landscapes, deep valleys, vertical cliffs, dense coniferous and deciduous forests, small lakes and rivers. The levels of vegetation in the Albanian Alps meet the alpine level, from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest-free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by permafrost in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils.
In view of phytogeography, the Valbonë Valley National Park falls within the Dinaric Mountains mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest. The forests of the park are covered by a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees growing on limestone and dolomite, which is characteristic to the Albanian Alps. The most typical feature of the park's landscape is represented by its forests being a major resource in terms of their ecological functions, as well as in terms of the beauty they lend to the landscape. The pine is one of the most common species of tree in the park. The area, which is dotted with pine, is mainly overgrown with austrian, balkan, bosnian and scots pine. The area around the village of Valbona is characterized by the predominance of different beech species such as European beech. The park is, however, considered to be the only area in the country, where a high number of forest formations with norway spruce can be found. A lush mixed forest occurs in the upper part of the valley represented with a mixture of silver fir, common beech, norway spruce and scots pine.
The banks of Valbona River are covered mainly with forests of grey alder, olive willow and goat willow. Besides, the park contains boglands, which are situated in the wet low lying environments whereas various species of narthecium, carex and sphagnum can be found. The steep slopes and ravines of the Valbona Valley are home to communities of largeleaf linden, sycamore, ash and wych elm, which grow mostly in cool and humid locations.
Similarly, the Nikaj-Mërtur Regional Nature Park falls within the Dinaric Mountains mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome. The vegetation of the park includes many communities of a Mediterranean and Eurasian type. It is covered by a mixture of oak, beech and pine trees growing on limestone and dolomite, which is characteristically to the Alps. The most widespread floral communities of oak are dominated by italian oak, austrian oak, sessile oak and macedonian oak. The beech and pine trees are represented by species such as European beech, bosnian pine and austrian pine.
The climate of the Gashi Nature Reserve is subarctic and oceanic, having cool summers and generally cold winters. Forests occupy the majority of the region's area. The region falls within the Balkan mixed forests and Dinaric Mountains mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome. The river is particularly known for the diversity of flora and fauna and is surrounded by swamps and canals that drain the whole local basin such as the region of Malësia e Gashit within the Albanian Alps into the Adriatic sea. Forests occupy the majority of the total area. The diverse flora is characterized with high endemism due to the combination of southern geographic latitude and high altitude variation. The forests are host to several plants such as beech, macedonian pine, bosnian pine, norway spruce, and silver fir.
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Highlands of Gjakova
The Highlands of Gjakova or Gjakova Highlands (Albanian: Malësia e Gjakovës), known colloquially as Tropoja, refers to the mountainous ethnographic region in the eastern Albanian Alps that sits between north-eastern Albania and western Kosovo, serving as the historical centres of the Albanian Gashi, Krasniqi, Bytyçi, Morina, Nikaj and Mërturi tribes. Traditionally, parts of the Gjakova Highlands that are now located in southern Montenegro were used as pasturelands by the local Albanian tribes.
The Highlands of Gjakova are bordered by Kosovo's Plain of Dukagjin to the east, the Fierza Lake to the south, the ethnographic Dukagjin Highlands region to the west and the mountains of Plav and Guci to the north. Much of the region corresponds to the Tropoja Municipality of Albania, with the main municipal centre in Bajram Curri. This section consists of 54 villages and around 28,154 inhabitants. The Gjakova Highlands of Kosovo consist of Koshare, Botushë, Morina and the other mountainous areas and settlements in the west of the District of Gjakova. In Montenegro, areas to the east of Vuthaj are also considered to be part of the ethnographic Gjakova Highlands region. The region consists of the valued and protected Valbonë Valley National Park, Gashi Nature Reserve and the Nikaj-Mërtur Regional Nature Park, as well as certain sections of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park across the border.
There are several rivers, basins and waterways within the region, including but not limited to the Valbona, Gashi, Curraj/Nikaj, Bushtrica and Llugaj rivers as well as lakes such as the Xhema. It is home to many different peaks due to its mountainous terrain, including Maja e Hekurave, Maja e Kollatës, Mali i Zhaborreve, Shkëlzeni and Maja Jezercë.
The Gjakova Highlands are characterised by alpine landscapes, deep valleys, vertical cliffs, dense coniferous and deciduous forests, small lakes and rivers. The levels of vegetation in the Albanian Alps meet the alpine level, from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest-free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by permafrost in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils.
In view of phytogeography, the Valbonë Valley National Park falls within the Dinaric Mountains mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest. The forests of the park are covered by a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees growing on limestone and dolomite, which is characteristic to the Albanian Alps. The most typical feature of the park's landscape is represented by its forests being a major resource in terms of their ecological functions, as well as in terms of the beauty they lend to the landscape. The pine is one of the most common species of tree in the park. The area, which is dotted with pine, is mainly overgrown with austrian, balkan, bosnian and scots pine. The area around the village of Valbona is characterized by the predominance of different beech species such as European beech. The park is, however, considered to be the only area in the country, where a high number of forest formations with norway spruce can be found. A lush mixed forest occurs in the upper part of the valley represented with a mixture of silver fir, common beech, norway spruce and scots pine.
The banks of Valbona River are covered mainly with forests of grey alder, olive willow and goat willow. Besides, the park contains boglands, which are situated in the wet low lying environments whereas various species of narthecium, carex and sphagnum can be found. The steep slopes and ravines of the Valbona Valley are home to communities of largeleaf linden, sycamore, ash and wych elm, which grow mostly in cool and humid locations.
Similarly, the Nikaj-Mërtur Regional Nature Park falls within the Dinaric Mountains mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome. The vegetation of the park includes many communities of a Mediterranean and Eurasian type. It is covered by a mixture of oak, beech and pine trees growing on limestone and dolomite, which is characteristically to the Alps. The most widespread floral communities of oak are dominated by italian oak, austrian oak, sessile oak and macedonian oak. The beech and pine trees are represented by species such as European beech, bosnian pine and austrian pine.
The climate of the Gashi Nature Reserve is subarctic and oceanic, having cool summers and generally cold winters. Forests occupy the majority of the region's area. The region falls within the Balkan mixed forests and Dinaric Mountains mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome. The river is particularly known for the diversity of flora and fauna and is surrounded by swamps and canals that drain the whole local basin such as the region of Malësia e Gashit within the Albanian Alps into the Adriatic sea. Forests occupy the majority of the total area. The diverse flora is characterized with high endemism due to the combination of southern geographic latitude and high altitude variation. The forests are host to several plants such as beech, macedonian pine, bosnian pine, norway spruce, and silver fir.
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