Albania biodiversity data

Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) is a biophysical dimensionless quantity (its values range from 0/no absorption to 1/total absorption) used to assess the greenness and health of vegetation. FAPAR anomalies can be used as an indicator to detect and monitor the impacts of agricultural drought on the growth and productivity of vegetation. The data is presented in 10-day time composite of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

This vector dataset depicts the distribution of chestnut forests within Tropoja massif, northern Albania, a priority area under FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative. The Tropoja massif is critical for rural livelihoods, biodiversity, soil and water conservation and climate regulation. The dataset was developed using existing forestry data, high-resolution satellite imagery (SEPAL, Sentinel-2, orthophotos), and field verification conducted between June and July 2025. Chestnut forest polygons were manually delineated and refined through ground surveys and visual interpretation of imagery. This map supports sustainable chestnut value chain development, pest management, and agro-tourism planning. **Data creation:** 2025-07-15 **Data publication:** 2025-11-19 **Supplemental Information:** Tropoja is a municipality in Kukës County, northeastern Albania, within the historical ethnographic region of the Gjakova Highlands. Tropoja Municipality is located on the bank of Valbonë River between the Albanian Alps in northeastern Albania bordering Montenegro to the northwest and Kosovo to the northeast and east. **Citation:** FAO. [YYYY (year of last update)]. [Name of database: Name of dataset OR Name of database]. [Accessed on [DD Month YYYY]]. [URL] Licence: CC-BY-4.0 **Contact points:** Resource Contact: [Valbona Simixhiu](mailto:simixhiuv@gmail.com) Resource Contact: [Agim Pepkolaj](mailto:Agim.Pepkolaj@fao.org) Metadata Contact: [Nelson Ribeiro](mailto:nelson.rosasribeirofilho@fao.org) **Data lineage:** The chestnut spatial distribution was determined through: (i) compilation of existing forestry and land cover data (ii) analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery (SEPAL, Sentinel-2, orthophotos) (iii) manual delineation of forest polygons followed by refinement through visual interpretation of the satellite imagery and field surveys for validation. **Resource constraints:** This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-4.0)). **Online resources:** Download the data from Google Cloud Storage