Abstract
Summary: This study was carried out during 2003-2005 and included total meadow surface of 32,000 ha from seven regions throughout Albania (summer meadows of Shishtavec, Gramoz, Cajup, Lenie, Progonat, and winter meadows of Heremec-Delvine and Dukaj). The results of the study showed that average dry matter yield of the summer meadows is low (about 0.6±0.14 t ha-1 ) ranging from 0.33±0.07 t ha -1 to 0.53±0.10 t ha-1 at poor meadows (Progonat, Cajup, Lenie) and from 0.9±0.17 t ha -1 to 0.95±0.18 t ha -1 at rich meadows (Gramoz, Shistavec). Dry matter yield of the winter meadows ranged from 0.45±0.17 t ha-1 (Dukaj) to 0.57±0.13 t ha-1 (Heremec-Delvine). Regarding the rate of herbaceous biomass utilization in general, the plots closer to the villages were overstocked, which put high pressure on meadows resulting in their degradation. The coeffi cient of herbaceous phytomass utilization was about 94-95% at Lenia’s meadows and a few other meadows close to villages. At a few plots of meadows (Lenia, Gramoz, Shishtavec) situated away from villages and at high sea level, the coeffi cient of meadow utilization reached 50-60%. Energetic value expressed by starch unit (SU) depends on the fl ora and environmental conditions. According to laboratory analyses, the meadows of Dukaj had the highest energetic values (about 1.16±0.22 SU kg-1 dry matter) while Lenia’ meadows had the lowest energetic values (about 0.84 ±0.16 SU kg-1 dry matter).
Highlights
Albania has a total surface area of 2,844,800 ha
These tested surfaces were harvested for three consecutive years in order to evaluate their dry matter yield (t ha-1) and energetic values
Dry matter yield was estimated per useful surface, which is meadow surface covered with herbaceous mass and available for grazing by livestock
Summary
According to the official agricultural statistical data (2005), a large part (36%) of this area is classified as forests, which includes high and coppice forests, and shrub lands. The third major land use are pastures, which are largely uncultivated areas covered mainly by herbaceous vegetation and small shrubs. Pastures and meadows are distributed throughout the country and divided in two groups depending on the season of grazing: winter and summer ones. The latter include all the pastures found in the subalpine and alpine zones and amount to about 61% of the whole area (Shundi & Buzi 1991)
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