Caucasus-Anatolian-Hyrcanian Temperate Forests - A Global Ecoregion
Up to 20% of the flora is considered endemic
Snapshot: Ecoregion 78
Size:
520,000 sq. km (200,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Temperate Coniferous Forests
Geographic Location:
Straddles southern Europe and central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
Conservation Status:
Critical/Endangered
Quiz Time!
Know more about the unusual mating ritual of the Black grouse!
Answer:
Male Caucasian black grouse can be seen in the early morning, alone or in small flocks, hopping and flapping their wings as part of a spring mating ritual.
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Kopet Dag woodlands and forest steppe; Caucasus mixed forests; Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests; Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests; Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests; Elburz Range forest steppe.
The mountain range falling in the overland from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, and a related stretch of forests in Bulgaria on the other side of the Black Sea and south of the Caspian Sea, together form the Caucasus-Anatolian-Hyrcanian Temperate Forests and represent some of the most diverse and distinctive temperate forests in Eurasia.The combination of a moderate climate, rugged topography, varied geology, and geographic proximity to both Europe and the Near East, help account for the uniqueness and complexity of plant and animal life here. Endemism is high throughout - in the Caucasus alone up to twenty per cent of the flora is considered endemic.
Local Species
Selected species of the region include the Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica), Maral (Cervus elaphus maral), Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), Red deer (Cervus elaphus), and the Caucasian bison (a subspecies of European bison, Bison bonasus). Predators such as the Wolf (Canis lupis), Bear (Ursus arctos), Lynx (Lynx lynx), and the extremely rare Central Asian leopard (Pantera pardus tullianus) also roam these forests.
Two birds found here and nowhere else are the Caucasian Black Grouse (Tetrao mlokosiewiczi), which nests in thickets of rhododendron, juniper, and birch, and the Caucasian Snowcocks (Tetraogallus caucasicus), flocks of which can often be seen near mountain goats.
Threats
Aggressive forestry techniques including clear felling and replanting with alien species, coastal development in narrow coastal strips, overgrazing, recreation, and dam construction in large and small catchments, threaten the integrity of this ecoregion.
An international consortium, BTC Co., headed by BP, are proposing to build a 1700km pipeline to convey Caspian crude oil from Baku in Azerbaijan to Ceyhan on the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean. Preliminary construction work for the project commenced in 2003. Withour proper planning, such projects could have a devastating impact on the biodiversity of the ecoregion.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
