Important plant areas (IPAs) in the Fergana Valley (Central Asia): The Bozbu-Too-Ungortepa massif

By

Tojibayev, Komiljon
Karimov, Farkhod
Hoshimov, Hushbaht R.
Gulomov, Rustam
Lazkov, Georgy A
Jang, Changgee
Gil, Hee-Young
Jang, Ju Eun
Batoshov, Avazbek
Iskandarov, Abdulla
Choi, Hyeok Jae

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

Nature conservation

Volume

51

Pages

13--70

Subjects

Central Asia , Endemic plants , Fergana Valley , Important Plant Areas

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2012-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.51.94477

 

Abstract

This paper discusses identifying Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in one of the most densely populated regions of Central Asia—the Fergana valley. The recognition of IPA sites is an attempt to introduce new ways of conserving local plant diversity with a high concentration of endemic species in Central Asia, where conservation methods of the former Soviet Union still prevail. The research revealed the current state and geography of many rare species and enriched the flora of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan with several rare species. The second IPA is the transboundary territory of the Fergana valley, uniting the southern spurs of the Chatkal range and the Ungortepa-BozbuToo massif. We documented the distribution of 62 species in the IPAs under the sub-criteria of Plantlife International. Our study aimed at continuing studies on the IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving national endemics and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species.