6533b82efe1ef96bd12933a4

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Pamir-Alai Mountains (Middle Asia: Tajikistan)

subject

description

The Pamir-Alai Mountains are extremely diverse in terms of climate, landscape and habitat conditions. With one of the largest altitudinal amplitudes in the world, long gradients of precipitation and temperatures, different soil substrates and a diverse geology, the Pamir-Alai promotes a great number of plant species and diverse vegetation types. Currently almost 4300 vascular plant species have been reported from the area. The flora of the Pamir-Alai is clearly dominated by Irano-Turanian species (ca. 70%) followed by Mediterranean (10.6%) and Euro-Siberian species (9%). Out of a ca. 4300 known vascular plants naturally occurring in Tajikistan, 1486 are endemics belonging to 60 families and 188 genera. There are 12 endemic and 14 subendemic genera in Tajikistan. Astragalus is the richest genus with 173 unique species. The Pamir-Alai vegetation is fairly diverse and can be generally divided into 21 types: mesophilous deciduous forests, riverside forests, river-bed forests, xerothermophilous shrubs, subalpine coniferous forests, river-bed shrubs, meadows and pastures, segetal vegetation, alpine meadows and swards, steppes and so-called semi-savannas, xerothermophilous swards, xerothermophilous dwarf shrubs, desert and semi-desert vegetation, fen-spring vegetation, tall-herbs, littoral vegetation, aquatic vegetation, scree and sliding rock vegetation, rock vegetation and salt-marsh vegetation. Within these vegetation types approximately 200 plant associations were distinguished. The Pamir-Alai territory is regarded as one of the most sensitive areas in the world to climate change and biodiversity loss. Urgent action plans with the establishment of specific priorities and management for the hotspots of plant diversity are necessary to raise the effectiveness of phytodiversity conservation in the Pamir-Alai.