Plants and animals of kyrgyzstan

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Plants and Animals of Kyrgyzstan

kyrgyzstan flora fauna national park

Flora

Diversity of flora in Kyrgyzstan is determined by the altitudinal zoning. Slopes, varying by humidity, create different kinds of vegetation. On northern slopes steppes, meadow-steppes, meadows, bushes and forests are wide spread. On southern slopes, because of dry climate there are no zones of forests and alpine meadows; semi-deserts and deserts prevail here.

Flora of Kyrgyzstan numbers more than 3676 plants of lower species and 3786 plants of higher species. 600 types of useful wild growing flora are found in the territory of the Republic, among them 200 types of officinal plants are found: vasilistnik, Karakol akonit, big elecampane, Turkestan motherwort, Turkestan termopsis, St John's wort, coltsfoot, origanum, sea buckthorn, horse-tail ephedra, Veratrum lobelianum Bernh. etc. Wild plants having an economic importance include tinning joinweed, saltwort, barberries, rhubarb, Leafless Echinochloa, ferulage types, Fergana spurge, golden drop, types of thyme etc. A unique natural formation in the south of Kyrgyzstan is the walnut forests. Walnut, Siverse apple tree, Sogdy alycha, standard pear, Korjinsky pear, Tian-Shan cherry, barberries, almonds, pistachio, Djungar and Turkestan hawthorn and many others are growing here and represent a valuable genetic material.

The most known plants of Kyrgyz Republic are:

Tulips of Greig (Tulipa greigii Regel)

Tulips of Kaufmann (Tulipa kaufmanniana Regel)

Tulips of Kolpakowsky (Tulipa kolpakowskiana Regel)

Edelweiss (Leontopodium ochroleucum Beauverd)

Tien-Shan Fir (Fir of Shrenk) (P. schrenkiana Fisch. et Mey)

Fir of Semyonov (Abies semenovii)

Archa (Juniper) (I. turkestanica Kom.)

Fauna

101 types of protozoa, 10242 insects and other arthropods represent fauna of Kyrgyzstan. There are more than 1.5 thousand other invertebrates, 75 fish species, 4 amphibious, 33 reptiles, 368 birds and 83 mammals.

At an altitude of 3400-3800m grey marmots, silvery and narrow-skull field vole are particularly distinguished. The Brown bear can be found in the alpine meadows in the summer time. A lot of wild rams, marmots, hares, and mountain goats are concentrated in the Alpine meadows as well. Wolfs can be found here also. At the altitude of 3800-4000m there are no mammals as permanent inhabitants but sometimes the grey marmot or narrow skull and silvery field voles can be found. Higher than the snow line, at the rock juts (up to the height of 4,4 km.) some types of birds make nests: red belly redstart and alpine mountain finch. There are a lot of other birds: mountain goose, rock pigeon, partridge, Alpine jackdaw, and big desert bullfinch. Mountain goats can be found at the height of approximately 4500-m, along with beasts of prey - snow leopard.

The rarest species of animals such as wild ram, aurochs, wild mountain goat, roe, red deer, bear, deer, lynx, and snow leopard are included into the Red Book.

National Parks of Kyrgyzstan

To help preserve the priceless, pristine, virgin, natural resources that it possesses, Kyrgyzstan has a total of 83 specially protected natural territories, with a total area of 761300 hectares, which is almost 4% of Kyrgyzstan's total land area. Perhaps, the most famous of these specially protected regions is Ala Archa - just outside Bishkek. One of the main tasks of the National Parks is to organize tourism that is not harmful to the nature.

Kyrgyzstan National parks

Kyrgyzstan has a total of 83 Specially Protected Natural Territories, (SPNT), with a total area of about 800,000 hectares , which is 4% of Kyrgyzstan 's total land area. Perhaps, the most famous of these specially protected regions is Ala Archa - just outside Bishkek.

There are different types of SPNT - 6 "State Reserves" (or zapovedniks), 8 National Parks, and 67 Nature Parks (which are divided into "forest", "botanical", "geological", "multi-use" and "hunting"), and 2 Biosphere Reserves - recognised by UNESCO.

National Parks - One of the main tasks of the National Parks is to organize tourism that is not harmful to nature.

Natural Parks - formed to preserve the natural environment of the area whilst making it available for recreational activities.

Reserves - These are the most numerous of the Specially Protected Natural Territories. They occupy 289,200 hectares -- more than a half of the total area of all the territories. In the reserves only certain, definite types of economic activities are prohibited, or limited.

List of some of the SPNTs in the Kyrgyz Republic:

Ala-Archa National Park - founded in 1974 to protect the old Ala-Archa River and its environs for the sake of society and future generations. The National Park is just 35 km from the centre of the capital, Bishkek, and extends 15 km along the canyon with altitudes ranging from 1500m to 2240m.

Besh-Aral state reserve was founded in 1979 in the extreme South West corner of the Djalal Abad oblast, (right on the border with Uzbekistan), with the purpose of preserving the unique natural complex and forests of the Chatkal valley, as well as to partially protect the habitat of the Menzbir marmot and to protect the natural habitat of vegetation of Greig and Cauffman tulips.

Besh Tash State Park - in the Talas oblast, 13 km from the city itself, established in 1996 with 32411 hectares stretching some 30 km up the valley of the Besh Tash River.

Chong-Kemin - founded in 1997 in the Chong-Kemin river valley and included almost all the forest farms of the Kemin district. The park's main task is to preserve the unique landscapes with their diversity of fauna and flora. It contains a hunting and a botanical reserves - and the mausoleum of Shabdan Baatyr.

Issyk-Kul state preserve was the first protected territory in the Kyrgyz Republic , founded in 1948, and now forms part of the larger Biospere Reserve. It was founded with the aim of preserving the habitat of waterfowl which winter in the region around Lake Issyk-Kul . It has an international importance, and occupies some 19,000 hectares .

Issyk Kul Biosphere Reserve - is one of some 338 such reserves around the world, acknowledged by the UNESCO "Man and the Biosphere" programme. The territory of Issyk-Kul biosphere reserve occupies 43,100 square km or 22% of the total area of the republic, and a large variety of ecosystems are represented within its boundaries, ranging from deserts to alpine tundra. it is home to several species of flora and fauna that are included in the list of endangered species such as: Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii) and the Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) which graze in the mountains, the endemic Tien Shan Brown Bears which can still be found in the forests of Tien Shan Pines; and the endangered Snow leopard (Uncia uncia).

Lake Issyk-kul provides a wintering habitat for 20,000 to 50,000 waterfowl. The lake area is of primary importance as a wintering site for wildfowl and for migrating birds. Wintering numbers vary greatly depending on the severity of the winter. The main wintering species are Cygnus cygnus, Aythya ferina and Fulica atra. The main migrant is Anas acuta. There are small nesting colonies of Ciconiidae. The lake is of special value as reproduction area for species of economically important fish such as Stizostedion lucioperca and many other species.

Karakol Natural Park - founded in 1997, with a total area of 38,256 hectares including 4767 hectares of forests.

Kara-Shoro - established in 1996 in the Osh oblast, with 8,450 hectares - most of it pasture land, but containing some 823 hectares of forest. There are no roads in the park itself.

Karatal-Japaryk reserve was founded in 1995 in the forest regions of the northern hills of the Kargo mountains in the Naryn oblast. It consists of three small areas - a forested area and the high mountain lakes of Son Kul and Chatyr Kul - and occupies some 72,000 hectares .

Kulan Ata - established by Presidental decee in 2004 to preserve the biodiversity, rich gene pool of fir and coniferous forest, animal and herbal wildlife, improve bio-resource protection and expansion of the protected natural territories in the republic. It twenty four and a half thousand hectares consists of two detatched areas: Kulan Ata and Tonzoo. The reserve straddles the boundary between broadleaf and coniferous forests - although fir forests mostly prevail, with a predominatly mountainous landscape - but quite diverse. There are about 600 spieces of flora - including about 200 which are only found in Kyrgyzstan - and 200 different herbs. Some 54 of them are listed in the Red Book as being endangered species. The range of fauna is also rich and diversified - but many of the larger species require much greater areas than the reserve will be able to provide and they often cross it's boundaries where they become targets for hunting.

Kyrgyz Ata Natural Park - founded in 1992, in the Osh oblast, with 1,172 hectares to preserve the local, natural archa forest.

Naryn state reserve was founded in 1983 and coniferous forests, alpine meadows, and other ecosystems are protected by it.

Padasha Ata reserve in the Djalal Abad oblast, is one of the newer reserves.

Saimaluu Tash State Park - was established in 2001 in the Eastern part of Jalalabad oblast along the Kurart riber. Most famous for the petroglyphs found here it is also important for its biodiversity.

Salkyntor State Park - in the Naryn oblast was established in 2001 and covers some 10448 hectares - and is dedicated to the re-establishment of the Tien Shan Maral ( Red Deer ), and also serves as a recreational centre for the local population.

Sarychat-Ertash reserve - in the Issyk Kul oblast - contains some 72000 hectares of high altitude mountain habitats .

Sary-Chelek biosphere reserve is located in the western Tien Shan Mountains, on the southern spurs of the Chatkal Range in the west of Kyrgyzstan, occupying some 23868 hectares, at altitudes which range from 1,200 to 4,247 meters above sea level.

It was originally established as a ""park in 1959 in the Djalal Abad oblast, with the purpose of preserving the forests and mountain landscapes that surround lake Sary-Chelek, and was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1979.

Over 1000 species of plants are represented within its boundaries, including wild varieties of many "ancestors" of commercially important plants (in particular, many of the fruits found in the forests here have a high economic value). About a third of the protected area remains as forest but there are also meadows, steppes, rocks, screes and some aquatic areas.

Before the creation of the biosphere reserve, selective logging of the forest, grass cutting and cattle grazing were practiced. Today, serious problems arise from recreational activities, unorganized tourism, thoroughfare through the reserve and construction work on the banks of Sary-Chelek Lake.

Размещено на Allbest.ru