{"title":"Ohrid and Prespa - North Macedonia","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/","suffix":"fd82e174-fe05-4cfa-b30a-82aee361d258"},"type":"site","created":"2016-07-11T17:25:24+02:00","changed":"2020-11-27T13:04:10+01:00","attributes":{"affiliation":{"networks":null,"projects":[{"label":"EcoPotential (H2020)","uri":"https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/641762"}]},"contact":{"siteManager":[{"type":"person","name":"Orhideja Tasevska","email":"orhidejat@hio.edu.mk","orcid":null}],"operatingOrganisation":null,"metadataProvider":[{"type":"person","name":"Orhideja Tasevska","email":"orhidejat@hio.edu.mk","orcid":null}],"fundingAgency":null,"siteUrl":[{"title":"Ohrid and Prespa lake","value":"http:\/\/ecopotential-project.eu\/2016-05-24-14-52-12\/protected-areas\/23-ohrid-and-the-prespa-lakes"}]},"general":{"abstract":"The Region of Ohrid and the Prespa Lakes, situated in south-western Europe (40\u00b040\u2019- 41\u00b02\u0027N latitude; 20\u00b023\u2019-21\u00b016\u2019E longitude), extends across the borders of Albania, Greece, and Macedonia. Lake Ohrid and Prespa Lakes belong to a group of Dasseretes basins that originated from a geotectonic depression 2 to 5 million years ago on the western Dinarides. Because of the karstic underground a large amount of water of Prespa Lakes seeps into the soil, drains away trough a network of underground fissures, and supplies the springs located on the shore of Lake Ohrid.\r\n\r\nLake Prespa is therefore considered to be a part of the Lake Ohrid Watershed. The total area of the Lake Ohrid Watershed amounts 3,921 km\u00b2 of which 1,402 km\u00b2 belong to the Lake Ohrid sub-watershed and 2,519 km\u00b2 to the Prespa Lakes sub-watershed.\r\n\r\nLake Ohrid (41\u00b02\u002719\u0022 N, 20\u00b044\u002713\u0022 E) is the oldest lake in Europe. The lake is situated in the Ohrid valley, in the south-western part of Macedonia, bordering Albania, at an altitude of 693.17 m a.s.l. Approximately two thirds of the lake surface area belong to Macedonia and the remaining third to Albania. It has a surface area of 358.2 km2, a maximum depth of 288.7 m, a mean depth of 163.71 m, a water volume of 58.6 km3, and a shoreline length of 87.53 km. The drainage area is 1129 km2, with 40 tributaries. Evaporation (40%) and the main out\ufb02ow, the river Crn Drim (60%) balance the water budget in Lake Ohrid. The hydraulic residence time in Lake Ohrid is about 70 years. Lake Prespa (40\u00b054\u0027 N, 21\u00b002\u0027 E) is a transboundary lake shared between Macedonia, Albania and Greece. The lake is located at 849 m above sea level has a surface area of 254 km2, a catchment area of 1300 km2, a maximum water depth of 48 m, a mean water depth of 14 m, and a volume of 3.6 km3. The total in\ufb02ow is estimated to 16.9 m3\/s, with 56% originating from river runo\ufb00 from numerous small streams, 35% from direct precipitation, and 9% from Lake Mikri Prespa to the south. There is no surface outlet of Lake Prespa. Water loss derives through evaporation (52%), irrigation (2%) and out\ufb02ow through karst aquifers (46%).\r\n\r\nThe ecological importance of both lakes has been acknowledged by the declaration of Lake Ohrid as UNESCO world heritage site in 1980 and the establishment of the Prespa National Park in 2000. The high diversity of avifauna especially among the migratory birds, has enabled Lake Prespa to be designated as Ramsar site in 1999. Due to all its peculiarity, natural uniqueness and ecopotential, in 2014, the area of both, Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa have been proclaimed as Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.\r\n\r\nLake Ohrid is a unique aquatic ecosystem and a hotspot of freshwater biodiversity with more than 210 endemic species described. Due to the long history of Lake Ohrid\u2019s continuous existence and the geographical isolation and permanency of life conditions in the lake, a relatively high number of lake organisms are still speciating. Species, by emphasizing the benthic fauna representatives, continue to diversify into new taxonomic categories - subspecies, species and even families. This type of speciation, also known as intralacustrine speciation, is typical in old, deep and large preglacial lakes, such as Lake Baikal. Taking surface area into account, Lake Ohrid is even considered to be one of the most diverse ancient lakes in the world with regard to the number of endemic species: Bacillariophyta 14%, endoparastic Infusoria 88%, Rhabdocoela 44%, Tricladida 71%, Hirudinea 54%, Gastropoda 90%, Amphipoda 90% and Ostracoda 66%. Lake Ohrid represents a refuge for numerous freshwater organisms from the Tertiary Period, whose close relatives can be found only as fossil remains; this is the reason the lake is sometimes called a \u0022museum of living fossils\u0022. Among them are included the famous Ohrid Trout (Salmo letnica) and a freshwater sponge (Ochridospongia rotunda). Due to its peculiarities, Lake Ohrid is considered to be a key site for biodiversity and speciation research.\r\n\r\nThere is high habitat diversity in the Prespa basin, with a flora of more than 1300 species. From a phytocoenological perspective, the presence of the endemic plant community Lemneto-Spirodeletum polyrrhize aldrovandetosum is the most important. Lakes Prespa is one of two proclaimed Ramsar Sites in Macedonia, noted as significant bird migration and breeding habitats, as well as for their biodiversity. In total, there are 23 freshwater fish species (80% of which are endemic); 11 amphibian species; 21 reptile species; more than 42 mammal species, among which are endangered brown bear, the wolf, the otter and the chamois; and over 260 species of bird. As well as providing a shelter for over 90 species of migratory birds, the Prespa lakes are also home to tens of species that have been officially registered as critically endangered or vulnerable. Among these is the Dalmatian Pelican, one of the largest flying birds in the world.\r\n\r\nSeventeen of Macedonia\u2019s 20 endemic fish species are included within the category of globally threatened species: seven are restricted to Ohrid Lake and six to Prespa Lake.","citation":null,"relatedIdentifiers":null,"status":{"label":"Operational","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/elter_cl\/10772"},"yearEstablished":1979,"yearClosed":null,"relatedSites":null,"siteName":"Ohrid and Prespa","shortName":"Ohrid","siteType":null,"protectionLevel":[{"label":"Category III \u2013 Natural Monument or Feature","uri":"http:\/\/dd.eionet.europa.eu\/vocabularyconcept\/cdda\/IucnCategoryValue\/III"}],"landUse":null,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/ohrid1_small.jpg","alt":"not defined"},{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/ohrid_map.JPG","alt":"not defined"},{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/ohrid-and-prespa-macedonia_4841.jpg","alt":"not defined"}]},"environmentalCharacteristics":{"airTemperature":{"yearlyAverage":9.4,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"\u00b0C","referencePeriod":null},"precipitation":{"yearlyAverage":907,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"mm","referencePeriod":null},"biogeographicalRegion":"alpine","biome":"freshwater_lakes","ecosystemType":[{"label":"Fresh Water Lakes","uri":null},{"label":"Lakes","uri":null}],"eunisHabitat":[{"label":"Inland surface waters (C)","uri":null}],"landforms":null,"geoBonBiome":["Fresh water lakes"],"geology":null,"hydrology":null,"soils":null,"vegetation":null},"geographic":{"boundaries":"POLYGON ((20.558166503906 41.182581603906, 20.558166503906 40.76577349327, 21.324462890625 40.76577349327, 21.324462890625 41.182581603906, 20.558166503906 41.182581603906))","coordinates":"POINT (20.94131 40.97418)","country":["North Macedonia"],"elevation":{"avg":1490,"min":693,"max":2288,"unit":"msl"},"size":{"value":392100,"unit":"ha"},"relatedLocations":[{"title":"Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/locations\/","suffix":"517c5f2b-57a0-4ffb-afdb-ef87cca07e4d"},"changed":"2024-05-07T14:21:53+0200"}]},"focusDesignScale":{"experiments":{"design":null,"scale":null},"observations":{"design":null,"scale":null},"observedProperties":[{"label":"biological parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20940"},{"label":"water parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20945"}]},"infrastructure":{"accessibleAllYear":true,"accessType":null,"allPartsAccessible":false,"maintenanceInterval":null,"permanentPowerSupply":true,"operation":{"permanent":false,"notes":null,"siteVisitInterval":null},"notes":null,"collection":[{"label":"Paper","uri":null},{"label":"Structured file","uri":null}],"data":{"policy":{"url":null,"rights":["The data provider must be offered co-authorship for publications using this dataset at least within the metadata description"],"notes":null}}},"relatedResources":[{"id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/activity\/","suffix":"53060e05-356e-49ee-8233-5fec7b883b8b"},"title":"Ohrid and Prespa - Macedonia - Standing water (Lakes) ","changed":"2019-11-29T11:31:18+01:00"},{"id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/dataset\/","suffix":"de7c0d6d-c7f9-42b0-a883-23ae73b7588c"},"title":"Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa physical and chemical parameters","changed":"2019-12-20T13:21:59+01:00"},{"id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/dataset\/","suffix":"a63966d8-5d49-49ed-a53c-816e2905d746"},"title":"Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa biological parameters","changed":"2019-12-20T13:21:59+01:00"}],"projectRelated":{"lter":{"lterSiteClassification":null}}}}