Dajti is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
located in central
Albania, just east of the capital,
Tirana. Part of the
Skanderbeg Mountains range, it stretches from Shkalla e Tujanit in the northwest to Qafa e Priskës in the southeast, at a length of and a width of . Its highest peak, ''Maja e Dajtit'', reaches a height of . Other peaks include Maja e Cem Rrumit and Maja e Tujanit .
Geology
Composed primarily of
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
and
Paleogene limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
, with notable
karst formations, its upper section is barren of vegetation while the lower section, up to , consists of
flysch. The undulating mountain ridge features a steep eastern slope and a western slope that gradually descends onto the plain of Tirana, highlighted by an ancient marine terrace known as Fusha e Dajtit, formed during the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
era.
Climate
Dajti experiences a cool mountain climate with temperatures averaging at heights of about . Temperatures are the coldest during the month of January () and the hottest during July (). The average amount of precipitation is , a good amount of which is accumulated snow.
Biodiversity
The western slope of the mountain consists of three distinct vegetation belts. The lower belt, up to , is covered by Mediterranean shrubs like
strawberry tree,
juniper and
heather; the middle belt, ascending from , is dominated by an
oak forest; the upper belt, above , is covered by a mixture of
beech and
conifer
Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
trees. The peak of the mountain is devoid of vegetation and serves as the base for
RTSH's central antenna.
On the eastern slope, the vegetation changes, with a smaller Mediterranean shrub area and the presence of oaks,
chestnuts, and other trees which are absent on the western slope.
The section of the mountain and its surrounding habitat are designated as a
national park.
See also
*
List of mountains in Albania
*
Dajti Mountain National Park
References
{{reflist
Mountains of Albania
One-thousanders of Albania
Geography of Tirana County
Tourist attractions in Tirana County
Dajti National Park