Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe
Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests
  • Caucasus mixed forests
  • Eastern Anatolian montane steppe,
  • Elburz Range forest steppe
    • Geography
    Area64,090 km2 (24,750 sq mi)
    Countries
    Conservation
    Conservation statusCritical/endangered[1]
    Protected3,693 km2 (6%)[2]

    The Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion in western Asia. It lies in the lowlands west of the Caspian Sea, and covers portions of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran.

    Geography

    The ecoregion lies mostly in the

    Elburz Range
    , and on the east by the Caspian Sea. 70% of the ecoregion is within Azerbaijan, extending into eastern Georgia and northwestern Iran. Elevations range from -27 meters along the shore of the Caspian Sea to 900 meters above sea level.

    Baku, Azerbaijan's capital and largest city, is in the ecoregion, as is Tbilisi, Georgia's capital and largest city.

    Climate

    The climate of the ecoregion is semi-arid to arid, temperate, and continental. The ecoregion has a long, hot summer and a short winter with mild temperatures. Average annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm.[1]

    Flora

    The main plant communities include shrub deserts, steppe, open woodlands, riparian forests in river floodplains, and wetlands.

    Desert communities are characterized by species of

    Artemisia lercheana along with the short-lived grasses Poa bulbosa and Catabrosella humilis. Salsola deserts are dominated by the shrubs Salsola nodulosa and Salsola ericoides.[1]

    Areas with saline soils are made up of

    therophytes, including species of Petrosimonia, Climacoptera, Salicornia, and Halimocnemis.[1]

    Steppe is characterized by grasses up to one meter high. Bothriochloa ischaemum is the predominant grass, along with species of feather grass (Stipa) and the shrub Paliurus spina-christi.

    Dry open woodlands are found in foothills and lower mountain slopes. The predominant trees are three species of

    Jasminum fruticans, Berberis iberica, Rhamnus pallasii, and Prunus subg. Cerasus spp.[1]

    Dominant trees in the floodplain forests include

    Tilia caucasica, with Tamarix ramosissima and other shrubs in the understory.[1]

    Fauna

    Native mammals include the

    Persian gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa subgutturosa) and Turkish hamster (Mesocricetus brandti). The riparian forests support wild boar, gray wolf, roe deer, and Caspian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral).[1]

    Native birds include

    griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), and black stork (Ciconia nigra). Thousands of little bustards (Tetrax tetrax) winter in the ecoregion's lowlands.[1]

    Native reptiles include the

    Dahl's whip snake (Platyceps najadum).[1]

    Protected areas

    A 2017 assessment found that 3,693 km2, or 6%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.

    Turyanchay State Nature Reserve in Azerbaijan, and Vashlovani National Park, Vashlovani Strict Nature Reserve, and Gardabani Managed Reserve in Georgia.[3]

    References

    1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
    2. ^
      PMID 28608869.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link
      )       Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
    3. ^ UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Azerbaijan from the World Database of Protected Areas, October 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe.
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Azerbaijan_shrub_desert_and_steppe&oldid=1218862384"