Lake Skadar (115)
Montenegro, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Skadarsko jezero
Central coordinates: Latitude: 42.2402, Longitude: 19.2319
Elevation (m): 5 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 371.13218
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large lake (also known as Lake Scutari) shared with Albania (Albanian site 001), situated near the town of Podgorica, with wetlands on the northern side; several rivers supply the lake.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: This is a very important site for breeding, wintering and passage waterbirds, holding more than 20,000 individuals throughout the year. Numbers in winter range from 150,846 to 223,792, and in November numbers on passage regularly average 250,000. Breeding landbirds include six of the 21 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Mediterranean biome.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 4 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 15 | |
| Forest | 13 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 67 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Large quantities of chemicals are thought to have entered the lake several years ago, with devastating consequences for fish and birds (`Other' threat). Many bird species are thought to have suffered large declines as a result. Additional threats include fishing and poaching.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Only in the future |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Only in the future |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Temperature extremes | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Only in the future |