Europe's oldest lakes in the border region of Albania, Macedonia and Greece. The Unesco it as a "museum of living fossils," a World Heritage Site declared
wooded slopes get behind the huge Lake Ohrid steep, with its crystal clear water up to a more than two thousand feet high ridge that is already in Autumn is covered in snow. Behind the mountain of the Prespa Lake is situated in the border region between Albania, Macedonia and Greece. With its reed beds and the poor villages on the banks, he looks completely different than the 150 meters deeper Ohrid lake, the gravel beaches on the east bank in July and August the people of the inland Macedonia replace the missing Mediterranean coast.
from Lake Prespa ( Note: On the right of the lake ) a small pass leading to a vast plain, which works with its fields and pastures surrounded by high mountains and deep gorges, pretty strange . "Prior to 1930, here splashed the waves of the 55 square kilometer Malik Lake to the banks, "explains the hydrology and biodiversity Professor Spase Shumka from the University of Tirana. After the lake was drained, there was, to his former base, the granary and garden of Albania." Although these three separated only by ridges from each other look regions completely different, they have the same history and are today still closely together, "Gabriel Schwaderer supplemented by the conservation organization € Nature in German Radolfzell. He works closely with Spase Shumka, in addition to working as project manager in the Albanian conservation organization PPNEA is. At some point a few million years ago in the region A so-called grave breach in its deepest parts, the collected water to three lakes. In addition to the Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Tanganyika in East Africa the water is one of the oldest lakes in the world, in whose waters the species living there were able to develop more.
of the world cultural organization UNESCO declared the Ohrid lake was therefore as a "museum of living fossils," a World Heritage Site. The closest relatives of some of these living fossils, swim in Lake Baikal, which is about 25 million years old. Because rivers wash silt and gravel continuously in the lakes, most of the waters dry up quickly. Some grave openings but deepen faster than its inherent lakes silt. Thus, the Baikal is 1,600 meters deep, two to five million years old Ohrid lake reached 290 meters deep.
In Ohrid Lake is swarmed by a number of species that exist only there and nowhere else on earth. Even our own trout species Salmo Letnica swims in the clear water. Locals and tourists appreciated the "Koran" said fish on their plates so much that he has now landed on the Red List of Threatened Species.
A few miles away is a lake just reborn. The fields and pastures on the drained lake bottom of the former Malik were previously only dry, while the strong Water was pumped out. After the transition from socialism to a market economy but the government lacked the money for the operation and maintenance of the facilities. After the failure of the pumps of the former Lake Malik comes slowly back, now a small area of water flashing in the Malik-level.
Before this lake was drained, he was connected to the Devoli River with the Little Prespa Lake. This in turn sends water through a natural channel in the four meters below the Great Prespa Lake. There the 1100 breeding pairs world's largest colony of Dalmatian pelicans have settled that lived in the drainage Malik Lake. Perhaps also their new home risk. Because of the largely protected as a National Park Prespa Lake has lost in recent years, plenty of water. A few meters of the water level has dropped. The reason for the hydrologist knows Spase Shumka not because the situation is quite complicated in this water.
Before this lake was drained, he was connected to the Devoli River with the Little Prespa Lake. This in turn sends water through a natural channel in the four meters below the Great Prespa Lake. There the 1100 breeding pairs world's largest colony of Dalmatian pelicans have settled that lived in the drainage Malik Lake. Perhaps also their new home risk. Because of the largely protected as a National Park Prespa Lake has lost in recent years, plenty of water. A few meters of the water level has dropped. The reason for the hydrologist knows Spase Shumka not because the situation is quite complicated in this water.
will flow from the 850 m altitude in Lake Prespa ( image ) of water through cracks and fissures in the karst in the 2200 meter high mountain in the direction of Lake Ohrid. A powerful force of this water sources near the shore and on the base of the lake. This underground stream hydrologists have to radioactively labeled water.
"The frequent earthquakes in the region the cracks and fissures in the karst could change abruptly, "considered Spase Shumka. flows more water towards Lake Ohrid and change at the same time, inflows to Lake Prespa not, should the water levels drop.'ve However, the inflows changed because of has reduced climate change, the rainfall in recent years. How important is the influence of climate on the water level of the lake, about the unusually snowy winter was 2008-09. After the snow melts, the water level of Lake Prespa then increased by 80 centimeters. Because the banks are fairly flat, enlarged by the fact the surface of the water vigorously, according to find more space to Pelicans fishing. Other species such as the dice snake on the island of Mali degree in Prespa Lake are changes in water level, however much care because they feel comfortable both on land and under water.
Another factor could affect the water level: in particular on the Greek side farmers pump more water from Lake Prespa in order to irrigate their fields. Presumably, therefore, controls a combination of all three factors the water level, follow the conservationists of nature € PPNEA and a hawk. Because the water level of the lake hang next to the Dalmatian pelicans from several other species such as the pygmy cormorant, which are rare or even occur only here.
