Environmental conservation work in Central Asia
Central Asia
Area
From burning deserts to fertile steppes and deciduous forests, from alpine meadows to tundra, almost all biogeographic zones are represented here.
Hundred percent of the territory of four out of five Central Asian countries and half of the fifth (Kazakhstan) are Global Ecoregions, while the second (northern) half of Kazakhstan includes unique virgin steppe areas, which remain practically nowhere else in the world, and important bird areas.
The biodiversity of the region is characterized by the high degree of endemism: in some areas, up to 18-20% of higher flora is represented by species with narrow ranges.
Central Asia’s temperate forests harbour unique communities of fruit and nut trees – a valuable resource for other plants, wildlife, and people. Wild relatives of fruit and nut trees such as apple, pear, and apricot, almond, pistachio and walnut trees are just some of the components of this rich ecosystem.
About 7000 species of flowering plants, 900 species of vertebrate and 20000 of invertebrates live here. Many species are listed in the Red Data Book of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) such as Asian cheetah, leopard and snow leopard, kulan, markhour and bukhara deer, different rare eagles and falcons, MacQueen's bustard, cobra and gray monitor, beautiful tulips and butterflies, and many others.
