A meeting was held in Ashgabat to discuss the outcomes of scientific and practical activities, along with biodiversity assessments within the Amudarya and Kaplankyr State Nature Reserves. This event was organized as part of the Aral Sea Project, with participation from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the UNDP/GEF.
The meeting brought together experts from the Department for the Protection of Flora and Fauna of the Environmental Department, the State Committee for Water Management, the administrations of Dashoguz and Lebap provinces, the private sector, and the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO.
The meeting’s agenda included a review of the legal framework for conducting research within state nature reserves, an analysis of existing national environmental legislation and international conventions ratified by Turkmenistan, exploration of financial initiatives including ecosystem service payment schemes, and an evaluation of the results of monitoring wild ungulates within the two designated protected areas.
A significant part of the meeting was the topic of the inclusion of new sanctuaries in these reserves. In particular, the latest data on biological diversity and the state of ecosystems in a number of natural sites was presented. These are the Pitnyak upland with Lake Koshbulak, the Talymergen plain (Lebap province), as well as the Zengi Baba reservoir, which is bordered by the upland of the same name and the Tugai forest (Dashoguz province).
Pitnyak hill is one of the most interesting natural attractions of Lebap. Once these places were the bottom of the ancient Tethys Sea, and therefore the local cliffs are entirely composed of fossils of prehistoric sea urchins and mollusks with a wide variety of ribbed shells. The most interesting finds, such as the teeth of ancient sharks, became part of the exposition of the Nature reserve Museum. The upland is known not only for its fossils, but also for a variety of birds, including roody shelduck, owl, house owl, common kestrel, vulture and golden eagle. It is also home to rare mammals and reptiles.
Arazmurad Amanov, Head of the Scientific Department of the Kaplankyr State Nature Reserve, highlighted that the northern region of Turkmenistan, where the reserve is located, harbors hidden natural wonders despite its seemingly harsh environment. One such marvel is the depression containing Lake Zenghi Baba, which fills with slightly brackish water.
Lake Zenghi Baba, situated within the Kaplankyr Reserve, is formed by the inflow of water from the Shasenem agricultural massif via a bypass canal. It comprises a series of interconnected large and small lakes. The lake’s surface area exceeds 2,000 hectares, and its water capacity can reach 140 million cubic meters.
The black saxaul forest surrounding Lake Zenghi Baba provides a vital habitat for numerous species of small animals and insects. Some mature black saxaul trees, adapted to the saline environment, can reach heights of five to eight meters.
Scientists emphasize the critical importance of the Kaplankyr Nature Reserve and other similar sites for the country’s natural heritage, underscoring the need to preserve these invaluable ecosystems for future generations.///nCa, 23 December 2024 (based on materials from the newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan)