Yerevan Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden of Armenia (NAS) was established in Yerevan in 1935 . Botanical gardens were later also built in the cities of Vanadzor (formerly Kirovakan) and Sevan (1944). Like most botanical gardens, these were established as scientific institutions and centers of ecological education. In addition, they serve as a breeding site for endangered plants from different geographical regions around the world. The collection is also used to raise endangered plants to later release them into the wild. The garden is also a recreational area for the population.
The Yerevan Botanical Institute is also located in the garden .
history
The Botanical Garden in Yerevan was opened in 1935 in the northeastern part of the capital on 80 hectares of semi-desert soil. The Botanical Center opened three years later on the grounds of the garden. In 1950, the largest part of the garden was incorporated into the Botanical Institute. In 1940 a large part of the plantings were created in the middle of the garden. In addition, forests and avenues made from Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris and Pinus sylvestris var. Hamata ) were planted.
Between 1954 and 1970 the director of the Botanical Institute and the botanists LB Machatadze and AO Mkrtchian collected representatives of the Caucasian flora, so that almost every plant in Armenia is represented on the approximately 16 hectare area. At the same time a large rose and lily garden was created. In addition, other regions are represented: the Caucasus , North America , Europe , Siberia and East Asia .
In the past 70 years, a collection of 207 genera and 75 families was created: in the Botanical Garden in Yerevan - 1070, in Vanadzor - 590, in Sevan - 450.
A large part of the collection consists of representatives of the following families: cypress family (Cupressaceae) - 56 species, pine family (Pinaceae) - 29 species, legumes (Fabaceae) - 69 species, honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) - 89 species, olive family (Oleaceae) - 105 species and Rosaceae (Rosaceae) - 263 species, and the following genera: juniper ( Juniperus ) - 27 species, oaks ( Quercus ) - 29 species, lilac ( Syringa ) - 65 species and clematis ( Clematis ) - 41 species.
In the park you can see the chestnut-leaved oak ( Quercus castaneifolia ), common ivy ( Hedera helix ), tree hazel ( Corylus colurna ), sad tree ( Juniperus sabina ), Parrotia persica and Euphrates poplar ( Populus euphratica ), which are typical of the Caucasus . Representatives of the North American flora include the tulip tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera ), black walnut ( Juglans nigra ), common trumpet tree ( Catalpa bignonioides ), Virginian juniper ( Juniperus virginiana ) and filamentous palm lily ( Yucca filamentosa ). The common horse chestnut ( Aesculus hippocastanum ), common judas tree ( Cercis siliquastrum ), pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ) and Siberian larch ( Larix sibirica ) are also found in Europe and Siberia . From East Asia, there are the plants platycladus ( Biota orientalis ), Japanese pagoda tree ( Sophora japonica ) and redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides ).
Little by little, new departments with new areas of work emerged in the Botanical Garden, such as the seed bank , flower cultivation, the department for settlement gardening and landscape architecture , a department that focuses specifically on local flora and much more
The property of the Yerevan area is divided as follows: 16 hectares of parkland; 3.2 hectares of arboretrum; 35 ha flower exhibition; 7 hectares of lily gardens; 0.7 ha collection of various flower pots, 0.8 ha other.
location
The park is located in the Awan district in the northeast part of the city. The Vanadsor Park is located at the southern end of the city, about 1400–1450 m high in a moderately humid forest zone. During its 70 years of existence, a rich collection of different plants has also arisen, including 590 species from 140 genera and 47 families. Because of its special climate, not only plants of the local fauna can grow there. Most of the plants are members of the following families: Pinaceae (40 species), Cupressaceae (22), Rosaceae (138), Caprifoliaceae and Salicaceae (41 species each), Oleaceae and Fabaceae (37 species each). GD and PD Jaroshenko, LB Machatadze and AA Grigorian played a key role in the creation of the collection.
The garden in Sevan is the smallest of the three parks at 5 hectares. It is located in the immediate vicinity of Lake Sevan in a small bay well protected from the wind, at the northernmost end of the city of Sevan at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. This garden also has a rich collection of 440 species with 115 genera and 38 families. Most of the representatives from the families of the Rosaceae, Caprifoliaceae and Fabaceae can be found here.
Goal setting
One of the main tasks of the garden is the collection and cultivation of endangered plant species (there are 400 endangered plant species in Armenia). European yew ( Taxus baccata ), common ivy ( Hedera helix ), sedge tree ( Juniperus sabina ), Caucasian zelkova ( Zelkova carpinifolia ) and Caucasian rhododendron ( Rhododendron caucasicum ) are of particular interest . Another goal is ecological education. In the past, the scientists working around the Botanical Garden had repeatedly appeared in the media and wrote articles on the problem of environmental protection in Armenia. In addition, they offer advice for educational institutions, industry and private plant breeders. Excursions for school children are carried out constantly, many agricultural biology students conduct field studies here.
Hitherto unexplored irregularities were also observed; thus some bushes and trees grew unnaturally fast in certain areas. A large number of native and introduced plants were tested for their growth conditions and later successfully planted around Lake Sevan . In 70 years, the Botanical Gardens have reintroduced 350 species of high ecological value to Armenia. In addition, settlements and industrial areas were landscaped by the settlement of 225 species and 282 cultivars.
present
The botanical gardens in Armenia are currently in poor condition. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the funds for the parks dwindled. During the great energy crisis in 1988, many trees were used as firewood. The garden's specialists are currently repairing the damage and expanding the existing collection.
literature
- JA Akopian, Conservation of native plant diversity at the Yerevan Botanic Garden, Armenia. KEW Bulletin 65, 2010, 663-669.
Web links
- Yerevan Botanic Garden of the Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI, English)
Coordinates: 40 ° 12 ′ 39 ″ N , 44 ° 33 ′ 25.4 ″ E