ETLEVA HYSAJ1*, FERDINAND BEGO2
1Department of Biology-Chemistry, University “Eqrem Çabej”, Gjirokastër, Albania.
2Department of Biology, Faculty of Natyral Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania.
*Coresponding author e-mail: hysaj_etleva@yahoo.com
Abstract
Impact of human threats on the activity of the otter along the Drinos valley has been studied during the period 2010-2012. The Drinos river and its tributaries, water reservoirs, and trout fish-farms situated in the Drinos valley were included in the study. The whole 60 km Drinos river was divided in three sections based on a set of environmental factors (vegetation cover, water regime, and human disturbance). Each of the three sections was divided in 200 m long stations. In each station the presence and/or absence of human disturbance or threats were assessed, such as destruction of food sources or feeding sites, habitat destruction, water pollution, animal persecution, roads and traffic, and human interference in hydrological regime of the river. Human disturbance was present in 19.33% of the stations in the river section Kakavie-Virua, 14.00% of the stations in the river section Virua-Andon Poçi and 25.00% of the stations in the river section Andon Poçi-Vjosë. In addition, human disturbance was higher along the western riverbank of Drinos, due to proximity of the national road passing by. Results of our study reveal significant influence of the human disturbance in the activity of the otter along the Drinos river. Thus, the values of the otter marking activity along the western (more disturbed) and eastern (less disturbed) river banks change significantly during both maximum and minimum river flow seasons, respectively (χ2=428.7***, p<0.001) during maximum river flow season, and (χ2=437.3***, p<0.001) during the minimum river flow.
Key words: the otter, human disturbance, Drinos river, marking activity.
