Goravan Reservation: Difference between revisions

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-==GORAVAN RESERVATION==
-===Location===
-Goravan Reservation is located in the vicinity of[[Goravan]] village on the left bank of the mid-stream of the River Vedi on the slopes of the Urts Mountains at the altitude of 900-950 m above sea level. It is the largest area of rare sand deserts in Armenia known for unique flora and fauna adapted to sand. According to scientists the alluvial or proluvial sands of this unique area originated in the geological past from the deposits brought by permanent and temporary water streams (sand, silt, pebbles, gypsum etc.). Very specific psammophyte associations (in Greek “psammos” means sand and “phyton” – plant) as well as unique animals, especially numerous species of insects and reptiles including endemics are typical for sand deserts. The gems of the sand ecosystem are phog (Calligonum polygonoides L.), milfoil (Achillea tenuifolia Lam.), spurge (Euphorbia marschalliana Boiss.),Oligochaeta divaricata (Fisch. et C.A.Mey.) C.Koch and numerous other psammophyte species such as Astragalus paradoxux Bunge, Kochia prostrata
-(L.) Schrad., Ceratocarpus arenarius L. etc. as well as species growing on sand such as Rhinopetalum gibbosum (Boiss.) G. Don, Haplophyllum villosum (Bieb.) G. Don, Lepidium vesicarium L., Cousinia macroptera C.A.Mey. exDC., Alhagi pseudoalhagi (Bieb.) Desv., Acantholimon vedicum Mirz., A.araxanum Bunge, Ziziphora tenuior L., Z. persica Bunge, Bromus L. etc. Goravan is the only place in Armenia where relict species phog (Calligonum polygonoides) occurs. It is a leaf-less perennial shrub with dense whitish and green branches sometimes growing as high as 1 meter. Its roots stabilize
-moving sands. Seeds of phog are disseminated by wind. According to scientists phog is ecologically tied to one of 13 endemic insect species of Armenia
-occurring in Goravan sands - butterfly Pharaonus caucasicus. This ecological link is important for both species. Another species is milfoil (Achillea tenuifolia) which usually grows up to 80 cm high. This species is very common for xerophilous associations of the Ararat valley, particularly in wormwood semi-desert. Though milfoil seems to be suppressed in sands and grows not as high, but still it is a predominant species having important ecological role. It is noteworthy that milfoil is surrounded by numerous ant-hills. Ants are vitally tied with it as well as other sand species. Links between ants and numerous plants especially myrmecochorous (“mirminkia” means ant in Greek) species (Euphorbia marschalliana, Oligochaeta divaricata, Ziziphora tenuior, Z. persica etc.) are still studied by scientists. Sand desert plants and animals are not only adapted to life on sands but also are in close contact with each other forming a uniqueinterlinked complex. The presence of sands is one of the vital preconditions for their existence. Goravan sand desert is gradually shrinking due to human activities, namely animal grazing and use of sand as construction material. The use of the sand desert for economic purposes can disturb the balance of this unique ecosystem and lead to elimination of numerous endemic and relict species.