Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
forest cover in Albania indicates that the transition and the associated macroeco-
nomic recession led to dramatic changes in the landscape. Declining revenues from
agriculture were accompanied by new livelihood strategies in a rapidly globalizing
world. This sparked demographic changes and pushed people into other sectors of
the economy, leaving large tracts of cropland idle (De Soto et al.,
2002
; King,
2005
;
World Bank,
2003
). The resulting land-use changes are associated with interesting
patterns such as the persistence of land fragmentation and the realignment of agri-
cultural production as, over time, predominantly more remote and less-productive
areas fall out of cultivation. Forests have been threatened by the transition because
a new delineation of rights to forest uses remains to be implemented. In addition,
many households still rely on forest resources. This resource degradation, which
includes uncontrolled woodcutting and overgrazing, is particularly intense in areas
near villages and communities, exerting human pressure upon forest resources the
major cause of their deterioration. In parallel with degradation of forests and pas-
tures, investments in forest management diminished considerable after mid-1980s
and were eventually discontinued in the 1990s due to dwindling resources allocated
to the forest administration. Since the early years of the transition period, consid-
erable quantities of wood have been illegally harvested. Forest health is a concern
for local livelihoods that strongly depend on forest resources in the absence of other
energy sources. The sustainable management of forest and pasture resources should
be focused upon an efficient management and utilization of resources in order to
restore and maintain biodiversity, production, regenerative capacities, forestry vital-
ity and other diverse potentials both for the present time and for the future with
the view to fulfilling the ecologically economic and social functions at the local,
national and global level without causing further damage to other ecosystems.
17.3.3 Pasture Degradation
Land use and land reform have also affected the development of pasture sector in
Albania. Approximately 60% of pasture area is in the process of being transferred to
the communes (Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
2002
).Thestrategyforthedevel-
opment of forestry and pasture sector is an action plan which aims at achieving an
optimal contribution to this sector, to the general economic growth as well as to the
sustainable development of the country. This process implies a good management
and utilization of pasture in a way which secures production, regenerative capacities,
vitality and pasture potential for the present and the future, ecological, economic and
social functions at local and national level. At present, the main concerns in relation
to pasture management are: degradation of pastures from overgrazing or the high
pressure on them. So, it implies overgrazing of pastures beyond their regenerative
capacity, without taking into account the technical criteria such as the increase of
cattle to be grazing prior to the grazing season. Lack of investments and improve-
ment operations in pastures have caused problems concerning the decrease of their
holding capacities and their relevant qualities. During the last period, the animal
husbandry is having a vigorous development, which for the present condition of
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